A Legend's Curse
by The Struggling Warrior
Summary: For a millennium, he has suffered because of the gods' mistakes. Now in their time of need will he stop the destruction of Olympus, or will he watch it burn? ABANDONED
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Prologue<p>

Time waits for no man. This is a rule that all mortals have to live with. Each person has set amount of time that he or she has to spend. While the time each individual has differs, eventually the clock will run out for everyone. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

For this reason, men and women have tried desperately to gain more time. Every person does it. Most people try to extend their live by trying to remain healthy. They eat right and exercise to keep their weak physical bodies from deteriorating. This method is actually valid. Taking better care of themselves will extend their lives.

Others try to make an impact of the world so they will be remembered. Reproduction is the usual method to making a legacy. Children are the future of mankind and by making them, you are elongating your influence past your own lifetime. In fact, this method seems far too easy at times. Harder methods of remembrance can include creating a work of art, inventing a useful machine, or doing something that will go in the history books.

Like anyone really cares.

Some men, however, try find a more….. permanent solution. They try to become immortal.

Yeah, it sounds ridiculous.

These men dream of eternal youth. These men desire an invulnerable body. These men lust after the idea of never dying. Such people obsess over the thought of never facing the consequences of taking risks during their lives. To make this dream a reality they are willing to give up their very souls.

They are fools.

The very idea of a mortal body never dying is absurd. Every normal vessel will grow old. All mere physical bodies are vulnerable to injury. No matter what every human will die. As long as a man is still a man, he will run out of time.

Nevertheless, people still try. They will spend their precious time trying to find a method to gain more time. The only thing these idiots accomplish is wasting their lives on a fairytale dream. Despite their efforts, they die without making any real accomplishments. It is the ultimate irony.

And yet….

The idea is a very pleasurable thing to think about. It would be nice to never feel yourself grow weak. Never experiencing the agony of injury is a wonderful thought. Even if such things can never exist, they are a fantastic dream. To gain what you want most out of life, to never leave it.

But it should be left at that, a mere dream.

Seeking immortality will only waste your life. In addition, consider what would happen if you actually attained eternal youth. Time would continue to flow. People would continue to die. Life would go on without you. And you would never change.

Scary thought, is it not?

Everything you know and love would disappear around you. And nothing you do will change that. You would forever be alone. No friends or family can comfort you through your hard times. No rivals would arrive to give meaning to your hard work. No enemies would come to bring excitement to your life. But you would be alive, right. And that is what matters.

Wrong

Those who can fear death want to live. A person who cannot fear death, however, what does he want? What does a person who does not need to eat or drink to live desire? What does a person who no longer needs money to provide for themselves want? What does a man who cannot die want? The answer is simple.

He wants to die

What! That is ridiculous! Who in their right mind would want to die if they have what every mortal wants! It must be a lie right?

No, it's not

This concept of desiring death seems insane because it is. Just like the concept of eternal youth, immortality, and invincibility, no person can truly understand it because it is forever out of his reach. And this is where it should stay.

To actually gain immortality would be a curse. Not that the gods would ever admit it. They always act like living forever guarantees happiness.

Liars

They grow tired and bored all the time. That is why they use humans for their own amusement. They promise great gifts to men if they complete impossible tasks. Promises of wealth, power, and pleasure are given to men just for a bit of entertainment.

Most people curse the gods for their actions. Men think that they would be just if they were gods. Women think that they would be merciful and kind if they were godesess.

Hypocrites

If they were in the gods' place they would be far worse than any of the Olympians.

As such, no one can blame the gods if they gave men a hopless chance stay young forever. The whole idea was funny. Men would try desperately to beat the trials of the gods only to lose the time they have left. They knew that sucess on such a quest would be impossible.

This is why they were shocked to see a mere child overcome tasks that had broken the strongest men in the world.

It was a joke of a quest. The gods knew it. The humans knew it. Hell, everyone knew it. The only one who did'nt know the truth was that young boy.

The child was meant to die. That was the point. To avoid unnecessary ricks in the future the young hero had to die.

In the end, however, he was justed cursed. Instead of the peace of the afterlife he was given eternal earthly suffering.

At this, the gods actually pitied him. They would not have wished this fate unto their worst enemies.

That young man was cursed to walk the face of the earth until the end of time.


	2. The Last Words of the Night

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The sun had set on another day. For many it was a time of rest and relaxation. But not for him. The night was merely a different torture for him to struggle through. To him night meant sleep and sleep meant nightmares. Not that he could bring himself to care anymore.

The night did have its pleasures, though. The stars were a comfort to his soul. Seeing them reminded him that he was not completely alone. The fire was something he cherished even more than the stars. The warm light danced as it banished the darkness from the small clearing.

The darkness was an old enemy of his. He did not fear the shadows. Fear would suggest that darkness could actually harm him. No, he did not like the darkness because he was reminded of death. And death was something he did not want to dwell on.

The smell of cooked meat filled the air as he turned the rabbit over the fire. He could have just eaten it raw but there was a chance that the smell would attract some excitement to his small camp. Whether it was enemies or just animals didn't matter to him. He could use some kind of fight.

When the food was ready, he immediately took a bite. The fact that the meat was burning hot did not bother him at all.

"What a surprise," the man commented without looking up, "An Olympian taking time out of her busy schedule just to see me."

Most people would have jumped out of their skin if someone just appeared out of no where not fifteen feet away from them. Of course, the man did not fit any definition of the word normal.

"Hello Percy," the woman greeted the man with a small smile.

The man, now identified as Percy, continued to eat as if she was not there. Usually the woman would have been greatly offended by such rudeness. But Percy was a special case.

There was a long pause before Percy spoke again, "You did not answer the question Lady Athena."

"Can't an aunt just visit her nephew?" Athena asked as she watched Percy eat his small meal.

"No," was his answer.

"Hmm, just as cold as ever aren't you, Percy," Athena spoke in more of a statement than a question.

" You still did not answer my question," Percy still did not look at her. He just stared into the fire.

"Indeed, I suppose I should just get to the point," As she talked, a chair appeared behind her. A goddess could not just sit on the ground.

For the first time since she arrived, Percy looked at her. He had to look up from his position on the ground to see her face. His eyes judged her for a moment until they turned back to the fire. She had failed the first test in his mind.

"I need a favor," She bluntly commented. Her eyes never left him. If they did she knew he would not help her.

"You and every other god," he had no readable tone in his voice, "What makes you think that my answer to your request will be different in any other way."

This was the tricky part. If he detected even a hint of deception, which he would if she did lie, he would stop talking to her all together. He always did value the truth.

"Because your morals will make you do what is right," to many that would seem corny, but to him it meant that she was serious.

"Speak, and I will listen," she had at least passed the second test. The last one will determine what he will do.

"My daughter will be in trouble soon," that is all she said.

"How do you know?" he was curious.

"A mother's intuition," she answered. There were other reasons, too. Listing them, however, would not help her cause. She knew that he does not care about her daughter's teenage problems.

"Why ask me to help to help? If I remember correctly, you told me never to mess with your children again," his words rang through out the clearing. Of course he would not forget that conversation. He never forgets.

This time she did not answer immediately. She did tell him to leave her daughters alone, but that was before and this was now. If she said that, however, he might just travel in the opposite direction of her daughter.

"You have the highest probability of saving her," She knew it was not what he wanted to hear, but that was the fact.

"And that's it, huh? That is all you have to say? You completely contradict yourself and still expect me to save your daughter?" His eyes were now completely focused on her. She had failed the third test. "Goodbye, Lady Athena."

He looked back at the fire and she knew she had failed to convince him.

"She is your family," That had no affect on him.

"I would be willing to pay," Money ment nothing to him now.

"I would owe you a favor," That was big coming from a goddess. He was not interested, though.

There were only two ways to get him to listen now. One way was the cruelest method that she could possibly imagine. The other option, however, she could never do. An Olympian would not beg.

"She looks like Alice," she had just crossed a line. It hurt her to use her deceased daughter's name in such a way. She knew that she would regret this. But it would save Annabeth, and that was more important right now.

The look he gave her was unspeakable. Athena had seen that look before. The look could cause men to weep, could cause monsters to shake in fear, and it could even cause a god to do a double take.

He just stared at her for multiple minutes. Then he stood up off the ground and carefully put out the fire.

The only light now was the stars and the moon.

The darkness around them reminded him of the past, of death, and of his cursed life.

There were only three words said next. They were last words he would say to Athena that night.

"Where is she?"


	3. A Change in the Air

disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Grover was relieved. For the first time in months he did not have to worry about dying a painful death. Well, not as much anyway.

Why? Because the cavalry was almost there to save him. His friends were coming and when they arrived he knew he was safe. He trusted his friends with his life because they had already saved it multiple times.

Of course, that would never stop him from worrying. He always worried, because there was always something to worry about.

His current stress, however, was caused by two demigods (yes two) that he was supposed to save and take back to the camp. And, of course, it was never that easy.

There had been so many complications that Grover wanted to cry. In fact, he almost did when he saw a familiar group of teenagers talking to Dr. Thorn and Mrs. Gottschalk.

"Clark, Thalia, Anabeth!" Grover yelled grabbing the attention of the small group.

"Mr. Underwood why are you out here? You were told to stay in the gymnasium." Dr. Thorn was always scary. But right now he looked like he was about to snap.

"Uh.. Um…I.." Grover was never good with words.

Luckily, Clark was, "Sorry, Dr. Thorn. We were only supposed to get some CD's," At this point, Clark pulled some disks out of his coat, " Grover, must have thought we got distracted. You know about our ADHD."

Thank the gods for Clark. He could always think on feet. His quick thinking had saved their lives multiple times.

"Hmm… well, yes. Just make sure to stay in the gym from now on." Dr. Thorn could tell that he was lying. The three children in front of him were all demigods. He could smell it. Attacking them would accomplish nothing, however, so he would wait until the right moment.

After quickly replying with some "yes, sir!"s, they made a hasty retreat into the gymnasium.

"When did you learn to use the Mist," Clark asked Thalia. Chiron had already taught him how to fool the mortals. He was just about to use the Mist when Thalia jumped in. He was both impressed and envious. It took him years to convince his mentor that he was ready for such power.

"I just learned how to do it," Thalia answered. She had felt the tension between Clark and her for some time now. He was always the leader. People looked to him for guidance all his life, and now she was here, taking his place. Part of it was because of their fathers' rivalry, while the other part was just a teenage squabble.

Anabeth quickly stepped in before a fight could even begin to surface. "Grover, where is the demigod?"

Grover sighed. Bless Anabeth, she was always the peacemaker. "Well, first it's demigods."

"More than one?" Thalia was surprised. Multiple demigods and they still were not attacked, yet. They must be extremely lucky.

"I know it's surprising," Grover answered, "They are brother and sister. I have no idea who their parent is, but their sent is strong. I'm out of time and need some help."

"That's why we are here. Are any monsters are here?" Anabeth was already thinking things through.

"You just met him. He isn't sure if they are the real deal or not. Mostly because they don't know the truth, yet. But with the semester ending he will make a move no matter what. We need to get them out of here, like, now."

Thalia and Clark looked at each other. They knew that they would have to put their rivalry aside. But that was not something they could just turn off and on. They could only hope that they could cooperate long enough to save the demigod siblings.

"Okay, what's the plan?"

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><p>David Whitaker was conflicted. He was married and had three children, but he was not happy. Every day he went to work and every day he began to have second thoughts about his life. The romance in his marriage had died and he longed for passion in his life. Temptation to let those passions free crossed his mind multiple times a day.<p>

These thoughts haunted him. Soon his sense of loyalty will give out. Until then, however, he used his job as a police officer as an outlet.

Like right now he just pulled over a biker going over 120 miles per hour on the highway. Inside he was smiling. This would relieve a lot of stress.

The man was riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000. The bike seemed to be kept in good condition and it looked like it just got a new paint job. But that was not what caught his eye. What he was really interested in was the rider.

The man on the bike didn't even look concerned as the police officer approached him. Despite the fact he was wearing a leather jacket and baggy clothes, David could tell that the man was a fighter. He was no body builder, but it was easy to tell that the biker was in to physical condition. Looking at the man, David felt a twang of jealousy. David reminded himself to start working out again.

The man held himself in a way that screamed self-confidence. His whole body was relaxed as he sat on his motorcycle. At the same time, the biker was ready for a fight. A fight that he had no doubt that he would win. This man thought he could take on the world.

David looked forward to breaking that attitude.

"Do you realize how fast you were going?" A simple question

"Yes." a simple answer

"Then you know you were just sixty miles over the speed limit?" David questioned.

"Yes." same answer

"Did you have a reason for trying to kill yourself?" David was a little weary of this man. This man looked far stranger than the police officer. If he decided to cause trouble, David might have to shoot him.

David was ready incase the man lashed out.

"Yes." whoa, didn't see that coming

"Is yes all you can say?" David felt his patience run low.

"No." Hey he said something other than yes!

"Are you trying to be smart with me?" This cocky piece of crap was really starting to annoy him.

"No." And the pattern repeats itself.

"Then answer the question!" Okay, enough is enough.

"I already answered your question." The biker was perfectly calm

"No, you didn't. You never told me why you were putting yourself and everyone else at risk!"

"You didn't ask that."

"Yes I did…..," No, wait he didn't he only asked **if** he had a reason.

David calmed down for a second "Okay, Why were you going so fast?"

For the first time, the man turned to look at David. The man's eyes could not be seen behind his helmet, but David knew that the man was studying him. For some reason he felt like he was taking the most important test of his life.

"My aunt told me that my cousin is in trouble. I am going to help her." David could tell that this was the truth.

"So, I take it that you and your cousin are close?" David felt the need to ask.

"No, we never met before actually,"

"Oh…" He then remembered procedure. "Can I see your license and registration?"

The man handed the documents to the police officer. As David looked over the documents, the man asked a question.

"Why do you want to betray your family?"

The question made David jump.

"What?" an intelligent response

"Why do you wish to ruin the lives of people who love you?" This was getting creepy.

"How…. how do you know?" How indeed

"I have see eyes like your's many times," the man answered.

Suddenly there was anger. Anger not only at the man, but at himself and his family.

"Why does it matter to you!" This man was the recipient of his anger.

"It doesn't."

"Then why ask!"

"Because you want someone to ask."

"I…." Words were at a loss to David.

The man watched David for a minute. Then he took off his helmet. This man would have no problems with the ladies, David realized.

The man had uncombed hair that gave him a ragged look. His handsome face was cover by a short beard that was nicely trimmed. The most dominant feature on this man, however, was his green eyes.

Suddenly David's mind was hazed.

"You will not betray your family"

"You will love your wife as long as you are married."

"You will cherish your children like the most precious treasures in the world."

"You will go home and fix the mess you made."

" You will find happiness."

Then everything was clear. All was right in the world. He felt the need to kiss his wife.

He desired to hug his children. Joy filled his heart.

The man put his helmet on and asked, "Can I go now?"

David looked at him and then at the documents in his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Jackson."

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><p>Zoë Nightshade hated men. That was no secret. In fact, she proclaimed it openly… multiple times a day.<p>

To her, men were the inferior sex. They were pigheaded, stubborn, and stupid. All they wanted with women was to use them and then to throw them away like a pieces of trash. There has been no good man in the world and there never will be.

Despite her hatred, however, she did not let the scum of the universe ruin her life. As the lieutenant of the Hunters, she was surrounded by comrades who understood her. She had her friends and she had her god. That was all she needed to be happy.

At that moment the Hunters were traveling. They moved through the forest in a blur. Such movement can only be obtained with Artemis' blessing.

Artemis. Her god. Her everything. She was there for Zoë when no one else was. When she was left die because of her naïve trust, Artemis was there. Her goddess understood the cruelty of men and what their lies could do to a girl. Artemis saved her and gave her hope.

That was something she could never hope to repay.

Right now, Artemis was traveling with her followers. Her face looked neutral, but Zoë knew differently. She understood her god more than other being ever could. Right now something was bothering her. And for something to bother Artemis, it needed to be big.

"Lady Artemis, do you wish to talk?" Zoë formally asked. If something was amiss, the lieutenant of the Hunters might need to know.

"…Yes, there is something bothering me," Artemis answered her after a small pause. " I feel a change in the air."

"Is it a group of monsters?" No monster was a threat to the Hunters. They always fled when Artemis's followers were near. As long as Artemis was with them, safety was assured.

"No, it is not a smell in the wind, but I do feel that tonight will bring something unusual." Artemis spoke with the ultimate seriousness.

"A good unusual or a bad unusual?" Zoë was curious. Uncertainty was the enemy of a Hunter.

"I am unsure. I do not feel danger, so it is no threat. But it is unsettling. Whatever it is, it will bring confusion not only to us, but to all of Olympus." Artemis looked thoughtful.

"That is pretty serious…Are thee worried?" If Artemis is worried then she should prepare herself for the worst.

"Oddly enough…..no,"


	4. Origins: the Beginning

disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p><em>Every story has a beginning. These beginnings help to forge what people will become. All beings, whether they are humans, monsters, heroes, or gods, started out as less than what they are now. <em>

_I am no exception._

_My life's beginning was not what you would call exciting. I was born to a poor women who had lost the love of her life to the ocean. Or at least that is what she told everyone anyway. In a sense, she didn't lie._

_Our home was a small shack. The roof leaked. The floor was mud. The walls were made of old decaying wood. It was a miracle that the shack never collapsed on top of us. _

_That place could barely be called a home. We slept on the dirty ground like filthy animals. We went to sleep still hungry most nights. We drank water that should have killed us. Everything about that place was terrible._

_Except one thing, my mother._

_My mother was beautiful. That was something no being in the universe could ever deny. Her face was flawless. Her skin was kissed by the sun. Her hair was always clean and straight (I have no idea how she did that in our circumstance). Her blue eyes could pierce the very soul._

_Yes, she was beautiful on the outside, but on the inside she was perfect._

_My mother did not have a bad bone in her body. She showed kindness to every single person that was in her life. Her smile could melt even the hardest of hearts. _

_I loved her in the purest of ways. I loved her because she loved me more than anything else in the world. She never yelled, hit, or even frowned at me. Even when I broke her rules, she would not become angry. She had the patience of a saint. I know, because she dealt with me on a daily basis._

_No other being in the universe was as pure as she was._

_So, despite how bad my home was, I was happy. I was happy because I had the best, most wonderful mother in the world._

_No one could ask for more than that._

_Every day was the same. My mother and I rose with the sun. Most of the time there was no breakfast. Despite our usual hunger, we always smiled and talked as we got ready for our day._

_My mother did many things to try to provide for us. She sowed, cleaned, and labored for money. I think she even begged on the streets at times. She took almost any job. Except for prostitution, my mother would never sell her body. _

_While my mother labored, I hunted for food. Back then, I was not very good at hunting. _

_Sometimes, I found some small game. But most of the time, I felt like I was cursed by something that kept me from catching anything._

_For all I know, I was._

_The one thing I was good at was fishing. Every day I caught at least two fish. It was miraculous really. The fish acted like they wanted to be caught._

_After the work day, my mother and I met back at the shack. Back then I loved the night. My mother would always hug and kiss me. Then, we would prepare the food (usually fish). As we cleaned and cooked our meal we would talk. The topic always differed. Sometimes we would chat about our days. Other times we talked about our dreams of the future. The conversation would continue until we finished dinner._

_Then she told me stories. These stories were about heroes, monsters, and gods. They captured my attention every night without fail. She would always call me her little hero. That was my favorite time of the day._

_Not all of the stories were happy. In fact, most of them ended badly. She told that was life and that they met those ends because of their own actions._

_I now know how true those words are ._

_So, that was our life. It was a hard life, that was for sure. We struggled every day just to survive. Nevertheless, we were content._

_But it could not last._

_The end to my naïve life began when I five._

_When I woke up that day, I knew something was wrong. My mother was worried. I could tell. Whatever it was, It had to be huge to visibly affect my mother._

_All day, a violent storm surged, so we stayed indoors. My mother jumped at every little noise. I asked her multiple times what was wrong, but she just told me it was nothing. _

_Then my greatest fear was realized. The shack collapsed._

_It was not sudden. We realized very quickly what was happening when the wood began to crack. At first, we were frozen, but then my mother sprang into action. She grabbed me and ran. Merely a few seconds after we got out of our home, it fell over._

_For a second, we just stared. Our home was gone. For a moment my mother looked like she was about to cy. Then, we heard the growl._

_At first, I just thought it was the storm. My mother's horrified face told me otherwise._

_Before I could turn around, we were off. There we were soaking wet and running from an unknown enemy. My mother dragged me along as fast as possible. Rapid heartbeats rang in my ears._

_I was terrified. Nothing like this had happened before. And never before had I seen my mother weep. _

_It was then I realized that we would die._

_We ran and ran. Surprisingly, I never got tired. In fact, I was able to keep up with a full grown person easily. I had to fight not to pass my mother as retreated from the growling beast behind us._

_Soon we arrived at the beach. For the first time that day, my mother smiled. We went to the water and she kneeled down to my eye level. Her words have echoed in my mind all my life._

"_Perseus, you need to go out into the water! Do not ask any question, just do as I say! Go into the water and you will be safe! I will lead the monster away! Go, Percy! Don't look back! I will be safe!"_

_She then pushed me into the water. For a moment, I believed that I was going to drown. The water didn't hurt me at all, thought. I could even breath in it!_

_I obeyed my mother at first. I swam out for a few meters, then stopped. I could never leave my mother behind. She was the only thing I loved about my life. So, I turned around._

_That sight still gives me nightmares. My mother had lied. She was not safe at all._

_That… that…. thing was attacking her. Skin was torn. Blood was shed. And worst of all, screams filled the air._

_Righteous furry filled my heart and mind. My mother (__**Mine!**__) was being killed by a monster. The most perfect being in the world was dying, and it was my fault._

_I yelled and shouted. I willed with all my might that something, anything, would strike that beast down. Something did._

_The water acted with my will. Like an arm, the water reached out to the monster. Then, like I wanted, it began to crush the beast. The monster whined and yelped, but those noises died down when the beast turned into yellow dust._

_Like a switch, the anger was gone. In its place was fear and despair. I moved through the water with lightning fast speed._

_I dove to my mother. I cried and sobbed. I held her bloodied body. I asked her to come back to me._

_My prayers were briefly answered._

"_Perseus?"_

"_Mommy! Your alive! Please hold on, I will get help!"_

"_No, no my son. Stay with me."_

"_But if I don't you will die."_

"_I will die no matter what so please stay with me in my last hours."_

"_Mommy…" my voice cracked. My tears mixed with the rain. My body trembled in grief._

"_Listen to my last words… my son… I want you to grow strong… I want you to live… Find happiness and fall in love… Live until you are an old man… And then…" She coughed up blood at this point. I remember the blood splattering over my face. "And then… die with… with no regrets…"_

"_No mommy, don't leave me! I love you!" I was hysteric. I was hyperventilating. I was going insane._

"_I love you too… I am glad that those are the last words my son said to me…" She stopped moving. Her breathing ceased. Her heart no longer beat. She was dead._

"_**Mommy!**__" I screamed and sobbed. For a long time I sat there in the storm. My life was destroyed. My family was gone. My innocence was crushed._

_The rest was blur. I remember the waves hitting me. They almost felt comforting. Then the water began to gently pull me in._

_I did not fight it. There was not a part of me that cared anymore. Dying would be a comfort at that point. A comfort that I would never get._

_As the waves pulled me away, I looked back for a moment. That was the last image I ever had of my mother_


	5. An Execution, not a Fight

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Saying that Clark Wayne was in trouble was like saying soccer was a somewhat popular sport. The understatement of the decade. Clark Wayne was not just in trouble, he was in some deep, deep shit right now.

Waste high, really.

He had to admit, it was his own fault too. He was the one who ran off on his own. He was just trying to prove he was the better leader.

As the son of Poseidon, he had many gifts. From a young age, he was stronger and faster then any other child his own age. This was proven many times. From gym class to after school sports, he always excelled.

Clark may not have been the smartest, but he made up for it with hard work. He struggled many years with his learning disabilities. His tutors spent hours explaining concepts. Despite his frustration, he never gave up and eventually he raised his bad grades to slightly (slightly mind you) above average grades.

His greatest talent, however, was leadership. Even when he was a small child, people looked to him for guidance. Self-confidence and charisma came off him in waves. Other children admired him and always looked to him a leader. He gladly took this role.

Lately, however, someone one trying to take his place. Whether it was intentional or not did not matter to him. Someone, cough Thalia cough, was trying to take his role.

That did not settle right with him

So, to prove he was better, he decided to save the demigod siblings by himself. In his mind, it would be easy. Find the siblings and Dr. Thorn. Defeat Dr. Thorn. Prove he was the best warrior and leader. Simple, right.

And to do all this, he decided to ignore the safer plan Thalia had made.

Thalia's plan was more stealthy than Clark's plan. Her plan was to distract Dr. Thorn by moving around the dance court. Then when he wasn't looking, take the siblings to safety.

Of course with demigods, such a simple plan could never work.

Dr. Thorn had quickly figured out their plan. So, while Clark and Annabeth were talking and Grover and Thalia were trying to avoid being trampled by crazed children, Dr. Thorn took the siblings and ran.

Annabeth, quickly realized what happened, went to look for Grover and Thalia. This was when Clark realized his opportunity. Saving the children on his own would prove his skill and cunning.

'It will be easy,' he thought.

As if

There was one thing Clark did not think about. His naïve brain did not think it was a possibility. Clark did not count on Dr. Thorn using the siblings as hostages.

In addition, Dr. Thorn had used some weird knife to cut open his shoulder and poison him. So here he was poisoned and captured. He was being pushed along like some wild animal.

Clark could only pray now. He prayed that his friends would save him. He prayed that a god, any god, would help him.

Yes, right now, help would be nice.

* * *

><p>The forest was calm. Too calm, really. No animals were moving. No water could be heard running downhill. The wind wasn't even blowing.<p>

This did not fool Percy, though.

Things were never calm. Everything had to be moving. If things were quite then that means death was near. Living meant that noise and movement were necessary. Even if humans trained themselves to control said noises and movements, they could never be truly still and be alive.

To be truly still meant that you were dead.

As such, the quiet meant that someone was going to die. This was certain. The only question is who.

That was why he was here. To ensure that the thing that died tonight was not human.

Percy sat on his bike with his eyes closed. He was feeling for them. If they were anywhere within a five mile radius, he would sense them.

There. One mile north-west.

He leaisurely took off his helmet and climbed off his bike. Before he turned around, he put the helmet on the seat. There was no reason to worry about the motorcycle. It would return to him when he needed it. Just like Hephaestus promised. Of course, that didn't stop him from using the Mist to hide it.

Percy began to walk. There was no need to hurry.

* * *

><p>Thalia was angry. Why was she angry? Two words. Clark Wayne. That moronic bastard just had to run of on his own.<p>

She understood that he felt insecure lately, but that was no excuse. He stupidly went off on his own to face an unknown enemy alone.

What was he thinking? Did he want to prove his masculinity? Did he want to impress Annabeth?

Stupid idiot.

Trying to prove he was the better warrior and leader by fighting alone. Yeah, that made a lot of sense.

Did he realize what would happen if he died. Grover would die too, because of their link. Annabeth would be heartbroken. Thalia would… would… probably just punch something.

Repeatedly.

Until her fists began to bleed.

They saved the idiot, of course. They lost the element of surprise by doing so, but they saved the dumb bastard.

Now, they were just fighting for their lives. Yeah, an every day occurrence for children of the gods.

Thalia groaned as another wave of thorns hit her shield. This fight was annoying. The spikes kept her from getting in close to finish the monster.

Clark was having a hard time too. His shield was not as strong as hers, so he had to keep moving.

Grover was trying to support them with his pipes, but that was not working. Anything he did was merely a nuisance to Dr. Thorn.

Luckily, the now visible Annabeth was keeping the new demigod siblings away from the fight. If Dr. Thorn turned his attention to them, then they would not be able to do much to protect them.

Then things got really bad. A helicopter (armed probably) was heading their direction. Yes, that is all they needed. Now, they were officially screwed.

A lord horn rang through the clearing. Then young girls appeared. Each was armed with bows and arrows.

The Hunters

'Okay,' Thalia thought, 'I take it back. Now we are completely screwed.'

* * *

><p>Zoë Nightshade looked at the scene before her. Five demigods, one satyr, and one monster were all on the cliff. Three of the demigods were girls. She could tell even if she was so far away. Maybe by the end of the night, she would have more sisters join the Hunters.<p>

The monster was a manticore. A rare beast to hunt, that was for sure. Fear was evident on the beast's face. It should be afraid. The goddess of the hunt was here to slay it.

"Permission to kill, my lady?" Zoë would never begin the hunt without her goddess' permission.

As the manticore began to yell about direct interference laws placed by the gods, Zoë rolled her eyes. The beast was stupid and ugly.

Her goddess spoke to the beast. As if she really needed to answer. They were Hunters. That meant that they hunt. Whether it was animals, monsters, or even men didn't matter.

Anything within Artemis's domain was merely prey.

"Zoë, permission granted." Artemis answered her previous question.

Just as Artemis uttered those words, the manticore lunged. Not at them, of course, that would be suicide. No, he lunged at the weakened demigods. He knew that was his only chance. Take captives and maybe he would live.

Before he got there, however, one of the demigods, a girl of course, grabbed onto the beast. While this was brave, it also got in the way of their line of fire.

As Zoe yelled at the young woman, the hunters readied their bows. She hesitated for a mere moment, but then she yelled a command to fire at the beast.

"No!" One of the demigods yelled. He was distressed.

'Stupid boy, as long as Artemis is here we will never miss and accidentally kill the girl,' Zoe mentally scowled.

An arrow hit the beast in the neck. Then another hit the monster in the chest. That didn't kill the monster, but it caused him to retreat. That was bad. The girl was still on its back.

'No!' Zoe mentally shouted.

As the beast dove to the edge of the cliff, it yelled curses to her goddess. Yeah right, what could it ever do to Artemis?

Right as it was about to go over the edge, something strange happened. The snow, which was disturbed during the battle, jumped up around the beast and girl. Oddly enough, the snow formed what looked like arms. Then the snow arms pulled the pair away from the cliff. One arm took the beast and dropped it away from both the cliff and the demigods. The other arm carried the girl over the edge of the clearing where the trees began again, yet not anywhere close to the Hunters.

The snow from the arm began to fall more and more as the girl was carried. Soon, only momentum was keeping the girl flying through the air.

As she began to fall, a person appeared out of the shadows of the trees. This person caught the girl.

* * *

><p>Annabeth was surprised. This was to be expected of course. First, she was on a monster about to go over a cliff. Now, she was being held by a stranger. Granted that the stranger did not seem to mean any harm. The gentle yet firm way he held her told her that.<p>

"Are you alright?" The man (she could tell by his voice) asked her.

Annabeth blushed. "Yes."

"Good," Was all he said. Then he gently put her down.

His eyes never left the monster. He was ready to fight. A sword was already in his hand.

The sword was unusual. The blade was a katana. Most of the sword was black. The bloodline, however, was crimson red. Crimson red cloth was also rapped around the handle.

The most distinct feature was the chain. At the end of the handle was a black chain. The chain was rapped around the man's arm multiple times. The chain was tight, yet loose enough to not hinder movement and not restrict the blood flow.

"Stay behind me," The man commanded. Annabeth felt compelled to obey those words.

"You!" Dr. Thorn had finally realized what happened. He looked furious and yet completely terrified at the same time. "Why are you here, Death Walker? What reason do you have to interfere?"

"I need no reason," the man (What did Death Walker mean?) simply spoke.

Then, out of the blue, the Hunters shot arrows at the monster. Anabeth was sure it was dead. She gasped when the snow shot up in the form of a wall to stop the arrows.

"This is my fight now. Do not interfere," His words rang throughout the clearing. Then he spoke directly to the manticore. "There would be no honor if I killed you with help."

"Don't get arrogant!" Dr. Thorn shot multiple poisoned thorns at the man. Annabeth dropped the ground. The man did not.

Instead, he blocked them all with his sword. Everyone was in awe. How is that possible?

The man began to walk toward the monster. In response, he fired more and more thorns at the man. Each one was blocked.

Dr. Thorn sent an almost countless amount of thorns at the man. His sword was a blur. Annabeth could have sword that more than one blade was moving.

Sometimes Dr. Thorn would fire at the weakened demigods. The snow always stopped them, though.

Soon, the man was standing almost in front of the manticore. The monster roared as it swung its tail at the man. That did nothing to the man.

The man's sword cut through the tail with ease. As the tail hit the ground, Dr. Thorn screamed in pain. The pain filled scream was cut short when the man put his blade to the monster's neck.

"Until the next battle manticore," Then, the man cut of the monster's head. All of the body parts turned to golden dust.

Then the man turned to the helicopter. By the sound of it, the copter was about to shoot at him. It never got the chance.

A large pile of snow formed into a giant ball in mid air and launched itself to the helicopter. It hit the copter dead on, and caused it to lose its blades and fall into the water below.

Silence. That was all that could be heard. Some stranger single handedly took out a monster which Thalia, Clark, and Grover could not beat together. Then he took out a freaking helicopter! He even made it look easy.

That fight could not be called a battle. It was merely an execution.

Then the silence ended.

"How dare you!" one of the Hunters yelled, "That monster was our prey. What gives you the right to steal our kill!"

"You took too long," was all he said.

Annabeth was at a loss for words. She didn't know who this man was, but she was glad he was on her side. At least, she hoped he was on her side.

"Okay, what the hell is going on!" the girl, Bianca, shouted.

She was ignored.

The man was looking at only one person. That person was in front of the hunters. She looked like a young girl, but Anabeth knew better.

"Hello, Lady Artemis," the man's voice was respectful.

"Hello, Percy Jackson."


	6. All That Can Be Asked

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Nico was excited. Scratch that. He was nearly jumping out of his skin he was so excited.

He was a demigod. A son of a god, like in the stories and games. It was a dream come true for him. Now he could be a hero. He could fight monsters and save innocent people.

How cool was that!

There were so many questions he needed to ask. Who was his father? When did he get to fight monsters? Where is this camp the others kept talking about? Why were these girls (I think they called them Hunter) dressed completely in fur and camping out in the middle of the winter?

And the most important question. Who was the dude that saved them?

Nico had never been so amazed in his life! The monster seemed almost invincible as the others fought it. The dude with the pipes controlled the grass to try to trap the manticore, but that only annoyed it. Both the children with the real weapons (so cool!) couldn't even get close enough to try and hit the monster! Then when the girls… err Hunters arrived he tried to run away with the girl on his back, but just as he was about to get away the snow grabbed him.

The snow actually reach up and grabbed the beast!

Then he appeared. The moment was like a movie scene. Just as the bad guy was about to escape, the hero arrived.

It was incredibly dramatic.

The battle took only about fifteen seconds in total. Nico actually didn't know for sure, but it was surely a lot less than a minute!

The man beat the beast with only two real attacks. Then he destroyed a helicopter with ease.

It was then Nico realized something very, **very **important. This man was his new role model.

And what does a ten year old child ask his hero? What do you ask a man who can swing a sword at lightning fast speed and move things with his will? The question is very simple.

"Are you a Jedi knight?" Nico asked in a very serious manner.

At that moment they were sitting by a fire in the middle of a camp. Nico was actually amazed by how fast the Hunters' camp was put together. Most people would take a long time to set up a camp. The Hunters worked quickly and efficiently. It took merely a few minutes to set up the tents and set up the perimeter. The tents looked like they could survive through a hurricane.

That wasn't the weird part though. The weird part were the wolves and birds that seemed to be guarding the camp.

Nico had asked about it, but merely told by the Hunter to not talk to her. She said it in a more harsh manner, but Bianca would be mad if he repeated what she told him.

The man called Percy Jackson by the goddess(was she really a goddess, she looked his own age) was sitting in front of the fire at this moment.

The light from the fire gave Nico a good look at the man. He had somewhat long hair which was messy but not in dirty way. His face was covered by a short beard which reminded Nico of a couple of video game heroes. The leather jacket, torn jeans, and old boots made him look really tough, in Nico's humble opinion.

For a moment, the man's eyes turned to Nico. Then he returned his gaze to the fire. His answer was simple.

"Nope," He did no say this in a annoyed or rude voice like most people when Nico asked them questions. That was just all that needed to be said.

"Oh, well you sure fought like one! I mean, how did you move your sword so fast? How did you control the snow? Is it hard to do, because it would be epic if I could do that!" Nico had a hard time stopping when he started talking.

The man turned to him again. He did not look away. This time Nico had Percy's full attention. Nico felt honored, like he had accomplished a great task.

"Years of practice can make almost anything possible. I doubt that you could control snow, though. It is quite difficult and you need to be born with the ability to do it." The man's words rang in Nico's ears.

"So I could swing a sword like you." Nico liked the man's answer, it did not make him feel inferior for not having a certain talent. Most people would mock him.

"Don't call it swinging," Nico felt bad for moment. He did not want to offend his new hero. "but yes, eventually your swordplay could be even better than mine if you train hard enough."

Nico felt better. Percy wasn't offended. He was just gently correcting Nico's mistake.

"Could you help me?" Nico had to ask.

"Maybe," Percy's answer did not satisfy Nico.

"That means no," Nico was disappointed. Of course Percy wouldn't help him. Why waste so much time on him.

"Not necessarily, I just don't want to promise you anything that might not happen. If I do get the chance, however, I will show a few moves." Nico could not find any deceit in Percy's words.

"Nico!" Bianca's voice sounded angry. While she was talking to the other demigods, Nico sneaked away. It looks like she finally realized where he went.

"Oh, hey Bianca. I was just talking with Percy." Nico didn't want his sister to be angry. She looked stressed out enough already. Bianca was not nearly as excited as Nico was about being a demigod.

"You should be careful with strangers. You can't just trust someone you just met… no offence, Mr. uhhh Jackson," Nico could tell that Bianca was nervous around Percy. His presence radiated power and control. He was very different from the other heroes and hunters. Even Nico could see that much

Bianca had told him multiple times to never talk to strangers. Nico usually obeyed this rule, but Percy was different. He had saved the girls' life and didn't even ask for a thank you. Nico could tell that Percy was a real hero.

"No offence taken. Those are wise words to live by Miss Bianca. Remember them, because I do not doubt that soon your own words will be tested," Percy did not look at her when he talked. Nico felt proud of the fact that Percy looked at him when talking. It made him fell important.

"What do mean?" Bianca sounded unnerved. Maybe she should be. Percy's words did sound ominous.

"You will soon make a chose which will reveal what is most important to you," The way he said this sentence made Nico worry for a moment.

"What kind of cho…," she was cut off by a different voice.

"Bianca," A Hunter (she looked like a princess to Nico) spoke to his sister with great authority, "Lady Artemis wishes to speak with thee."

* * *

><p>Thalia was still more than a little annoyed. Not at Clark anymore, anyway. She had already yelled at him for being a dumbass. Now he was in Artemis' tent with Bianca, Zoë Nightshade, and the goddess herself. That was more than enough punishment.<p>

No, she was annoyed at herself.

That fight did not go the way it should have. Even if they did lose the element of surprise, the fight should have been easy. She should have been able to kill the manticore by herself. But even with the help of Clark and Grover, she couldn't even scratch the monster. Her ego was not that wounded though. The Hunters could not do much ether.

What really frightened her was the fact that Annabeth was almost lost. She had failed to protect someone who was like a sister to her. At least when she almost died before, her friends were alive. Thalia felt incredibly weak as the manticore rushed to the cliff.

She thought that Annabeth was dead. Luckily, she was wrong.

Some stranger had saved her. Where Thalia, Mark, Grover, and even the hunters failed, he succeeded single handedly. She found that irritating. She found that frustrating. She found that…incredibly attractive.

Now, don't get her wrong. She didn't fall instantly in love or even felt anything emotional. Despite that, however, she could not deny that the dude was hot.

Thalia always valued strength. Whether it was her own or another's, strength was important to her. And that man Percy Jackson was strong.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she did want to learn more about him. Mostly to learn some of his fighting skills. The other part was just plain curiosity.

So that was why she was eavesdropping on his conversation. As she sat across from him in front of the fire, Thalia listened and watched. To many that would be creepy, but she was acting that way because she felt awkward.

She wished one of her friends were near, but it was not so. Mark was talking to Artemis. Grover was acting like a moron while trying to talk to the Hunters. Annabeth was sleeping. Thalia could understand that. The near death experience had worn her out.

Percy was talking to the boy. He answered Nico's questions patiently. The man did not seem bothered by the boy at all. Thalia would admit that if she was in his position right now she would pull her hair out.

She felt the need to ask something. She had spent a lot of time thinking about how to ask her question. Thalia asked the thing that needed to be asked, "Do you think Bianca will accept Artemis' offer?"

Both Percy and Nico turned their attention to her. She had interrupted their (Nico's) conversation about some game based on the Greek legends. Thalia felt rude for interrupting them, but this was something that needed to happen.

"I do not know what the result will be. I only know that Artemis offers her blessing to all pure maidens and most of them accept. The only reason she would refuse is if she loved someone enough to give up eternal youth and happiness."

"What offer? And what do you mean by youth and happiness?" Thalia could tell that Nico was confused. She felt bad for him. He might loose his sister forever in a few moments.

If Percy had the same pity for the boy he didn't show it. His face showed no emotion as he turned back to the boy.

"Lady Artemis offers almost every girl a chance to join her as a Hunter. If they accepts, they will no longer age and will have Artemis' blessing."

"That is awesome! So, she is going to become a Hunter and live with a goddess?" Nico's did not realize how that would affect him. He sounded happy for his sister.

"Yes, if she accepts," Percy was taking this conversation slowly. Thalia could tell that he was trying to break it to Nico gently.

"Why would she not accept?" Nico asked.

"Lady Artemis gives her blessing at a price. She is the goddess of both the hunt and virginity. So if they accept, they are never allowed to love a man. Love has many forms, though. A women can love as a wife, as a girlfriend, as friend, or even…as a sister." Percy was now looking at the fire. His face had a haunted look as the glow of the fire danced on his face.

Nico looked shocked. For a moment he said nothing. Then he asked, "So, if she joins the Hunter, I won't get to see her again?"

"No, you won't," Percy did not sugar coat his answer. He had bluntly told Nico what might happen. He knew what Nico needed to hear and that's what he said. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thalia respected that.

Nico looked devastated. Thalia could relate. Usually, she didn't let such emotions out. But the loss of a sibling really hit home to her…

"She might not do it you know," She spoke more gently than she usually would, which was not at all. "I know that neither Annabeth or I accepted her offer."

Nico looked hopeful. This hope was soon crushed.

"It seems that the decision has been made." Thalia followed Percy's line of sight and instantly felt her heart fall into her stomach.

Bianca had exited the tent. She was greeted by multiple Hunters. They were all smiling and hugging Bianca. Thalia notice how Nico's sister avoided looking in their direction.

Thalia felt an intense anger at Bianca. She had abandoned her brother! Thalia would give up her own arm to have her broth… no that was a bad thought. Thinking about that would only cause sadness, which would turn into even more anger.

Thalia turned to speak to Nico. She immediately wished she hadn't.

Nico looked completely devastated. He had lost the only family he had ever known. Thalia could not think of anything to Nico.

At this point, she knew that words were meaningless.

Percy understood that too apparently. He reached his hand to Nico's shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. Then he stood up.

As Percy began to walk away, Thalia asked, "Where are you going?"

"To have a word with Lady Artemis."

* * *

><p>Zoe was conflicted. Right now she should be celebrating with her sisters. A new Hunter had joined them. She had great potential, too. The celebration could not happen however.<p>

How can the hunter celebrate anything if their goddess was leaving.

After the meeting with her new sister and the boy, her goddess informed her of a hunt. That would usually make her happy, but not now. Not when the Hunters were being left behind.

Nevertheless, that was Artemis' decision and Zoe would obey her goddess without question.

As the boy was exiting the tent, Zoe noted with great satisfaction that he seemed frustrated. He had failed to recruit a new camper and she had succeeded to recruit a new Hunter. His male pride must be hurting.

Women:1, Men:0

As it should be.

Zoe was just about to speak with her goddess again when a noise from outside the tent interrupted her.

"Ugh, hey."

That was the boy's, Clark's, voice. Someone else must be outside the tent. The only question was who.

"Excuse me." Zoe would recognize that voice anywhere. She felt her nerves go on edge. This is just what she needed. The man that won't die.

"O..okay, oh I just wanted to say thanks for the help earlier." The boy sounded intimidated. That she could understand that. Even she would admit that Percy Jackson was a warrior to be feared.

"It was nothing." To him, it probably was.

"Um… I…" The boy sounded like he was just dying to say something. He never got the chance.

"Excuse me, but you are still in my way." Translation: move now.

Nothing else was said. The boy must have ran off. Zoe could hardly hold in her smirk.

"Lady Artemis, I request an audience, please." Percy knew that they had heard his conversation. He was now just being polite.

"You may enter, Percy," Artemis answered.

Without a second of hesitation, the man entered the tent.

As usual, Zoe felt annoyance creep up her spine. This wasn't unusual. This was how she felt around all men.

Many would think that she would be angry about him stealing her kill. She wasn't.

The beast was about to escape. Percy had stopped it and killed it. It was as simple as that.

They were, in fact, too slow. They had missed their kill and another warrior took advantage. That was the way of the hunt. She could never be angered by that.

Her goddess' next words surprised her.

"Zoe, please leave us. I believe that Percy wishes to speak alone."

Zoe did not want go. She did not want to leave her goddess alone with this man. Despite this, she obeyed Artemis.

As she exited the tent, she sent her usual disgusted look at Percy. Many of men would flinch or grovel at her feet after she sneered at them.

Percy was not in this group. He didn't even look at her as she left.

* * *

><p>The tent was covered in pelts. Everywhere Percy looked there were animal furs. All of them were gained through the hunt. Artemis made sure to use everything gained after a kill. Nothing was wasted.<p>

That was what Percy respected about the goddess. Most gods wouldn't care if they wasted food or drink. Artemis cared enough to efficiently use all of her sourses.

Just like Percy used to care. That was all in the past, though.

"I was surprised to see you, Percy," Artemis sounded genuinely astonished. She should be. Percy rarely interfered in another's fight. Even if the fight was lost. To him fighting was about honor. If you lost the fight, you lost your pride. Being saved by a stranger, especially when pity was involved, was a disgrace.

It was an old way of thinking. Artemis would be lying if she said she didn't miss the old ways sometimes.

Percy continued to look at her. As always, his eyes and face gave away no emotion.

"I was surprised myself, Lady Artemis. I did not think I would have to intervene. The fight looked bad from the beginning, but I assumed that they would ammerge victorious. Especially with you there. Considering that the beast was running away, you were victorious, but I could not let the girl be taken."

'So he was there before even we were,' Artemis realized.

Percy had long since learned how to control his tongue. If he ever revealed anything, it was intentional. He was letting her know that he only stepped in when there was no more hope. That was just like him.

"Hmm, now the question is why," Artemis knew that Percy always avoided the Hunters. If they were ever near he would leave as quickly as possible. Especially after the last incident.

"Your sister," Percy revealed his reason.

"She actually convinced you to help her daughter?" Artemis was startled by that. Percy no longer helped the gods. She couldn't really blame him. They have all wronged him at some point. Some a lot more than others.

"She cheated," Percy's eyes flashed. Artemis briefly saw pain and despair. She did not comment on them. Opening old wounds would not be wise. Especially if it involved Percy.

"Hmm, that is unlike her." It was. Athena never used her children like that. To actually use Percy's love for her deceased daughter was cruel beyond words.

"She just wanted to save the daughter is still alive. It was to be expected."

'That does not mean you forgive her, does it?' Artemis thought.

There was a moment of silence. It wasn't awkward. It just signaled the end of that unpleasant topic.

"What did you wish to speak about? Was it about Bianca?" Artemis asked.

"No, it is not about the girl. She has made her choice. The consequences of that decision are hers to bear." Percy remarked.

"Then, what is this about?" Artemis was curious.

Percy stopped looking at her. His eyes seemed misty.

"The circumstances are unusual, are they not? A group of demigods, some of which are children of the Big Three, fight a monster and lose. Then they are saved by both the Hunters and the, oh what do they call me now of days?" Percy trailed off topic.

"I believe that the mortals of this decade call you, or at least the character in your legend, the Phantom Soldier." Artemis told him.

"Oh, I thought they changed it? Usually the same name only sticks for about five to seven years." Percy remarked.

"Yes, well when your face appears in so many war pictures, the term soldier is bound to stick." Artemis reminded him.

"Indeed…well, anyway, does it not seem strange that we all arrived at this place?" Percy asked.

"Yes, it does, in fact," Artemis answered.

"…The fates are working again. I assume that you have sensed the change in the Mist lately." Percy said.

"Yes, monsters of old are beginning to resurface." Artemis stated.

"Monsters…" Percy seemed disappointed. "You would only be focused on that. Does the Goddess of the Hunt always ignore that which is outside her territory?"

"What do you sense Percy?" Artemis seemed eager, actually.

"The change is not recent. It has been growing for years. I do believe that you Olympians have forced yourselves to ignore it."

Artemis remained silent.

"The monsters are grouping together. The demigods are changing. The titans are rising." Percy looked grim.

"…Yes, you are correct. I have tried to get my father to do something. But no one will take action."

"That's why you going to do something yourself. You are going to hunt and to find proof, because that is what a hunter must do."

"Yes, I will find the Ophiotaurus. Then the others will have to listen to reason." Artemis showed her true colors. The colors of the hunter.

"And your hunters? You can not take them on such a trip." Percy spoke the truth.

"They will stay at Camp Halfblood for now…I have a favor to ask." Artemis did not want to ask Percy. She had wronged him in more ways than most of the gods. It took centuries for her to actually respect him. By the time she did respect him, he no longer cared.

Percy looked at her for a moment then turned.

As he walked to the exit Artemis asked, "I have already asked your brother this, but I would feel better if you went, too. Will you accompany the Hunters to the camp?"

Percy stopped right at the end of the tent.

"Why should I?"

That was a good question. For a time Artemis treated him as trash. She took a lot from him. Why should he help her? Why should he care?

"I don't have a reason. But please, if you do this my mind will be at ease."

Percy turned to her. His emotionless eyes bore into her own.

"I will escort them, but that's it. I won't stop any fights between Hunters and campers. I will most likely stay for only a few days. Then I will leave." Percy did not care what happened to the Hunters, or even the goddess. But it was the right thing to do. His mind knew this, even his heart was too hardened to care.

"That is all I can ask."

* * *

><p><strong>I am sorry. This chapter was difficult to write. My classes, my job, and my computer all decided to be a pain in the ass lately.<strong>

**Many of you might think that Percy is overpowered. Remember he has train for over a thousand years. As the story contiues, you will see Percy's weakness and vulnerabilities more and more.**

**The Origin chapters will be important. I will make many references to Percy's past. His history will be revealed periodically during the story.**

**And remember to review.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	7. Concerns

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Annabeth was a proud person. She would openly admit this to almost any person. It was a brutal fact. One which she could not deny.

Annabeth was proud about many things. She was proud of her intelligence. She was proud of her skills. She was even proud of her looks.

Like Athena would ever make an ugly child.

No, the girl was, is, and always will be proud. In fact, she felt that she had the right to be proud. She has done what most demigods have not. Survive.

Most demigods die long before they could do anything significant. This was especially true for the children of Athena.

Athena's children were smart and wise. They could easily think on their feet. Their strategies were ones that helped win wars.

Yes, they were great, but they were never the strongest fighters.

Children of Athena could avoid fighting. They could escape a battle with monsters. They could ever lead armies to victory. They could not, however, fight to the death with mere combat abilities and win.

No, that was the other demigods' specialties.

So, despite her pride, Annabeth was never ungrateful when she needed help and was saved.

After she was saved from the manticore, she was too shocked to say anything. Everything had happened so fast. Annabeth was in a haze as the camp was set up. Before she knew it, she was asleep. Exhaustion and stress had caught up to her.

The next thing Annabeth knew, Thalia was waking her up.

Annabeth had missed a lot while she was asleep. Clark was yelled at by Thalia. Grover mad a fool out of himself. Bianca had joined the Hunters. That was a big let down. All that work for nothing. And apparently, they were all heading back to the camp with the Hunters.

Oh joy.

The biggest shock was that the man (Percy something) was coming with them too. This pleased Annabeth. Now, she had her chance to thank the man that had saved her.

And so she did.

"Excuse me, Sir?" Annabeth made sure to be polite.

"Yes," Percy seemed deep in thought as he answered her. He did not even look at her. He was waiting for Apollo to arrive, just like the rest of them.

"Thank you for saving me. If you did not help, I'm not sure what would have happened," Annabeth sincerely showed her appreciation.

"Think nothing of it." Percy did not seem interested in being thanked.

"Well it's hard not to when you almost died." Annabeth stated to the man.

"Hmm… I am sure that was not your first near death experience and I am sure that it will not be your last." The man spoke the truth. A hero's life is dangerous.

"Yes, I suppose that the next battle will be as dangerous as the last." Annabeth said in a Matter-of-fact voice.

"…Exactly what a child of Athena would say…" This was not a compliment. It was not an insult either. Annabeth could not really discern the tone in his voice.

"What do you mean by that?" Annabeth could not decide whether she was insulted or not. This man stated that she acted like a daughter of Athena should act like, but this was not said in a praising voice. He just seemed to be judging her character.

"Almost all of Athena's children act the same way and say the same things. They seem to lack originality." Now Annabeth was truly insulted. Her pride demanded that she say something back to him.

"How dare you judge me and my siblings," she hissed, "What do you know of my family."

"I know enough…" Percy still did not look at her. Such rudeness only made Annabeth more angry.

"Well, I'll have you know tha…" She was cut off.

"Annabeth, why are being so loud?" Clark asked her. He, Thalia, and Grover seemed to have stopped their conversation in favor of stopping Annabeth from making a scene.

"This man just insulted my mother and siblings!" Annabeth angrily spat.

Shock, confusion, and curiosity spread through her friend's faces. It was never a good idea to insult Annabeth.

"I did no such thing. I merely stated an observation that I have made over the years." The man was oddly calm as he looked to the horizon. An angry Annabeth did not worry him at all.

"An observation that clearly wrong. Everyone in my family is completely original." Annabeth stuck her nose up in the air. She would make him take back his comment.

Clark, Thalia, and Grover all looked at each other. This was not a good situation. Annabeth could argue for hours. They silently decided to stay out of it. Even if they kind of agreed with Percy on the matter.

"Really? So everyone of your siblings does not ask questions constantly? The children of Athena do not all seek knowledge only to flaunt said knowledge when it is received? They do not all quote old sayings constantly and act like they are better for being blessed with the gift of wisdom." Percy asked.

Annabeth flinched for a moment. That sounded exactly like her and her siblings. Every word Percy said was true. That, however, would not stop her from arguing.

"Ok they do, but…" Her sentence ended there.

Percy had finally turned to look at her. Annabeth was shocked at what she saw. Several emotions flickered through his features. If only for a portion of a second. First, she saw recognition and remembrance. It was like he was recalling an old dream. Then, she saw grief and despair. He look like a man who had lost everything, family included, in a house fire.

Then, he just looked old. Not his face mind you. His eyes did. They reminded Annabeth of Chiron. They were the eyes of someone who had lived far too long. Unlike Chiron's eyes, Percy's eyes lacked one important factor. One which cause Chiron to go on and live his life.

Hope.

Percy's eyes lacked hope. They lacked the will to go on. His eyes were the eyes of a man who had long since given up.

Annabeth could no longer say anything. She was at a loss for words.

"I apologize, I did not mean to say that your family is not unique. They all just seem to act alike. They just try to be like their mother." Percy's words did not sound apologetic. In fact, they were monotone. But Annabeth knew that was the best she would ever get.

"All right…" Annabeth accepted his words.

For a moment, Annabeth's friends looked shocked. This shock was short lived when Percy spoke again.

"The sun is rising. You should close your eyes if you enjoy seeing."

And so they did.

* * *

><p>Nico was definitely not crying. No, sir. A hero like him would never cry. He had to be brave. Even if he was now alone in the world.<p>

After Percy had left to talk to Artemis, Nico went into the woods. He had told them that he needed to use the bathroom. He knew that no one believed him.

"…sob…ooh..ahh…" Nico had never felt so bad. Even when he lost his mother, he still had his sister. She was his rock. Now there was nothing to hold him up.

He was now falling into despair. No one had ever cared for him. Only his sister had stuck up for him. It was them against the world. And now it was only him.

He had been abandoned. At the time he need help the most, he had been left behind. His sister had left him to the wolves. And he…and he…

He couldn't bring himself to blame her. She had sacrificed a lot for him. She gave up her happiness often for him. Now, she was being selfish. He accepted that and hoped that she would be happy for the rest of eternity.

That did not stop the tears, though.

"…ohh… hmm…Mommy….I wish …that…..you were….here. Sob." Nico let out every bit of stress that he had been holding in. Bianca had never cried, so he always held it in. Now she was gone and he just let go.

"Nico," a voice spoke softly to him.

Nico gasped. He did not want anyone to see him. He could tell already that these people would criticize him for crying.

He quickly wiped his eyes and stumbled to his feet. Shame filled his heart when he saw who it was.

Percy was standing over him. His face was perfectly neutral as he stared at him. Nico wished that anyone else had come to find him. To have his new role model see him so weak was a disgrace.

"Percy… I was just…I was going to… I'm sorry," Nico looked at the ground. He was disgusted with himself. Now Percy will forever think that he is weak.

Suddenly, Nico felt a hand on his shoulder. Slowly Nico looked up. Percy was now on one knee in front of him. They were now at eye level with each other.

"Do not apologize." Percy's face did not show pity or even any concern whatsoever.

"But heroes are not supposed to cy." Nico knew a lot of stories. No hero had ever cried in their stories.

"Says who? The gods? Other heroes? The populous? They are lying." Percy's voice did not waver for a moment.

"They are?" Nico meekly asked.

"Yes, no matter what remember, you are still human. You will feel. You will stumble. You will fail. That is what it means to be human." Percy looked Nico right in the eyes. He paused for a moment and then continued.

"Others will say that showing such emotions is a weakness. They know nothing. If you are happy, smile. If you are angry, let it out and let it go. If you are sad, then deal with it in the best possible way.

If you need to be alone, that is fine. If you need comfort, that is fine. If you need to cry, then cry, because there is no shame in showing your grief. Especially if you just lost a family member." Percy gave Nico's shoulder a gentle squeeze. It reminded Nico of what an older brother did when comforting a younger sibling.

Nico was silent as he wiped his eyes. Then he said, "Thank you, Percy."

"Your welcome. Now, come. Our ride to Camp Half-blood is waiting."

* * *

><p>'The sun chariot is in the shape of a bus. There must be some kind of irony in that.' Percy thought as he and Nico approached the bus.<p>

Apollo was always a little vain. Everyone knew that he was. The situation must be killing him. His 'baby' was now a ride for a bunch of tourists.

If Percy could still feel such humor, he would laugh.

Now, his face remained neutral as he entered the bus with Nico right behind him. As he approached an empty seat a few rows back, the other heroes took a quick glance at him before returning their attention back to each other. Percy did not care what they were talking about.

The Hunters were grouped in the back. As usual, they were avoiding all contact with people outside their pack. Percy took note that Bianca was sitting with them. She looked happy as she ignored him and Nico.

Before he sat down, Nico looked at his sister. He looked sad for a moment, but that quickly disappeared. In its place, a resolved expression formed. Nico then took a seat beside Percy and began to speak about his game again.

'The game is a distraction for him. It takes away his stress.' Percy observed. 'He will soon learn to put his mind in more productive matters. Surviving will take precedence over entertainment.'

Percy only half listened to Nico as he talked. His mind was still focused on the change in the mist that has been happening. Before Athena approached him, Percy spent days trying to figure out what it was. No amount of tracking, meditating, or even dreaming provided any results.

There were no trails to track. No amount of thinking brought a solution to a problem not yet revealed. The attempted sleep gave no clues either. Instead of dreams of trials to come, nightmares of the past filled his mind. As always.

Whatever had happened, it was a big deal. It could possibly be a strong monster. A god may have changed sides and was causing havoc. Or… a titan had been freed.

That was a terrifying thought. If a titan was released and now on the move, then a great battle was on the horizon. One which the gods would do anything to avoid.

Percy knew better, though. He knew that confronting the situation now would bring the best result. Whether the threat be a monster, god, titan, or something even more terrifying; the sooner it was stopped the better.

If Percy knew where to go he wouldn't hesitate to fight. He would not do it for honor, glory, praise, or love. Fighting brought him no satisfaction. No, he would do it because it needed to be done

The battle would always call out to him. His blade would always hunger for blood. Percy's instincts as a warrior would always take him to danger and death.

This would not change. No matter how much he just wanted it to end.

* * *

><p>Thalia was officially freaking out. When she first boarded the sun chariot she knew this might happen. The sun chariot did fly, but she assumed she could just close her eyes and pretend to sleep during the ride.<p>

This was not so.

No, she had to drive the sun chariot. For a child of Zeus, this should have been a cake walk. The sky was her element. And yet it was also her greatest fear.

Yes. She was afraid of heights. Well not really the heights or the falling itself. The sudden stop at the end is what terrified her.

Many would mock her for this. How could she, a daughter of one of the Big Three, be afraid of something that should be her greatest ally.

This was her greatest shame. And it was on display for everyone to see.

She ignored the others as they yelled at her. First, she was too high. Then, she was too low.

'Shut Up!' Thalia mentally screamed. She was stressed enough as it is!

Their words landed on deaf ears. The only thing she could focus on was how high up she was. How far the fall was. How much pain she would be in before she died.

Nausea consumed her. Cold sweat poured out of her body. Her mouth was dryer then a desert. She would give almost anything just for this to end.

Just as she was about to yell in frustration, the stress faded. Her muscles relaxed. Calmness took the place of her nausea. Suddenly the thought of dying was the last thing on her mind.

Thalia wondered for a moment what was happening. Was a god interfering? No, why would any god help her?

"Good job! Now just bring the chariot up a bit…There! That's perfect!" Apollo grinned as he instructed her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia saw Apollo's eyes shift. If she was not right beside him, she never would have seen it. But for a moment, the god looked in the mirror.

Right at Percy.

Thalia herself looked at the man through the mirror. He was looking at her. No, he was starring at her.

Was he the one who was calming her? How? What could he do to change what she was feeling… the Mist?

Could he be using the Mist to keep her calm? It would be possible, but she was a demigod. The Mist should not affect in such a way. Not to mention he was not saying anything or even moving at all.

And yet…right now, she should be grinding her teeth in frustration and she was completely calm.

If that was true. If Percy was using the Mist in such way, then she needed to have a conversation with the mysterious man.

* * *

><p>Apollo was putting up a happy mask. Even though he felt terrible he still kept up his sunny personality. Pun intended.<p>

Usually, he did not have to fake it. Apollo usually saw the good in every situation.

Many could say that he was vain (all gods were vain). They could say that he was a little self-centered (but come on, he drove the freaking sun). Others could even say that he was uncaring of others feelings (…he is a dude…).

No one could say that his presence was depressing.

So, he faked a smile. He waved to his passengers as they exited the bus unto the camp. He even made jokes and poems.

The Campers didn't notice. The Hunters didn't notice. Percy noticed, though.

He should. He was the one causing Apollo's distress.

Apollo knew that Percy would be at the campsite. Predicting the future was his thing after all.

So, he spent many hours thinking about how to approach him. Should he be direct or indirect? Should he be friendly or distant? Apollo knew that Percy would not react to any kindness, so he just smiled and waved. He said a few good words and off they were.

Some might say that he was avoiding conflict. He was.

Apollo knew what Percy is like. Apollo knew what Percy's life was like. Apollo knew what Percy would say to him.

So he stayed silent.

Until they were alone that is.

"Lord Apollo," Percy addressed the god. His eyes were calculating. His face was unreadable, as always.

"Percy… How have you been?" Apollo already knew the answer to that question.

"The same as I have always been," Percy remarked, "and you?"

"Great! Like just the other day… why am I telling you this? Your not concerned with my affairs." Apollo was disappointed. He did enjoy talking about his life.

Apollo knew that Percy did not care. He was being polite.

"You asked first." Percy simply stated.

"Yeah, but… " Apollo actually did care about Percy. "We were friends once, right? You were even my wingman. Those were good times."

"Yes, you abandoning me to go impregnate a girl with a child that you will ignore for most of his or her life was a precious part of my life." Apollo could usually tell if someone was being sarcastic or not. Percy spoke with a very serious voice.

"Uhh… who are we talking about?" Apollo tried to exit the current conversation.

"We are talking about your children. Who are at this camp and would jump for joy to see you." Percy's look made guilt crawl up Apollo stomach.

"Oh…yes, but the sun chariot needs driving and…" Apollo was cut off.

"We both know that the sun chariot has autopilot." Percy interrupted the sun god.

"But it needs to be guarded…" Again he did not get to finish.

"You know the future to some extent. Will ten minutes cause the end of the world?" Percy's cold eyes pierced Apollo's eyes.

"No… You're right. I just worry how they will react." Apollo voiced his concerns to Percy.

"Imagine how they will feel if you don't go see them." Percy remarked.

Apollo was silent.

"I know that out of all the gods you pay the most attention to your children. They, however, don't."

Yes, Apollo spent many of hours keeping watch over his children. While he drove the sun chariot, Apollo made sure that his children would almost always succeed. He did give them privacy when they needed it, but if they were fighting or even just showing off, he made sure that they always hit the mark.

Not that he had to intervene a lot, his children were all skilled and talented.

"Go and see them. It will mean the world to them. Goodbye, Apollo." Percy said to his old friend.

With that Percy turned around and walked to the Big House.

"Goodbye, Percy. I hope you find the peace you deserve."


	8. Origins: Thieves

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

><p>Origins: Thieves<p>

_After my mother's death, I spent a lot of my time near or in water. It was the only place where I felt safe. Every time I left the water and became dry, I felt weak. _

_I felt vulnerable. Water was my shield. Without it I was defenseless. That was bad considering how many monsters were after me._

_Every other day I encountered beasts of different variety. Some were small and less dangerous. Others were larger monsters which would have killed me in an instant if I tried to fight them. _

_Too bad for them I never did._

_Some might call it cowardly, but I never stood my ground and fought. Sensible people would realize that I was a small child who could barely hold a knife._

_There were close calls, though. I could not stay in the water forever. There were some things I needed to be on land to do. Eating, sleeping, and bowel movements were some of them (I refused to pee in the same place I basically lived in)._

_Many times monsters would try to sneak up and attack. That was why I was always alert… okay, paranoid. If I ever received the smallest signal of danger, I made a beeline for the nearest source of water._

_There were close calls. Teeth and fangs sometimes nicked me as I entered the body of water._

_Nevertheless, I lived. It was no where near a good life. I could never compare it to my life before the __incident.__ Not that my life was perfect back then. Just a lot better than my time on my own._

_When I was not looking for food to keep me nourished, I trained. I spent hours trying to learn to control the water. _

_At first, the water would do nothing. The first time I willed the water to move turned out to be a fluke. _

_After a bit of time, I made slow, very slow, progress. I eventually could cause the water to ripple. Weeks later, I made a small wave. Then after two months, I finally made the water splash out in a concentrated blast of water which could sent a monster fly back at least a few meters._

_Doing this tired me significantly. Practice allowed me to increase the amount of times I could do this in a row._

_Eventually after months of traveling, I arrived at the docks of a large city._

_This city was abundant with life. I had scarcely seen a soul as I traveled over the months. It was unusual to see so many people at once. _

_I was amazed as I traveled through the streets. People basically ignored me. They were too busy with their own lives. They had no compassion for a poor orphan._

_After a while, I noticed something very important. I was lost._

_That was bad. I was hungry. I was tired. I was no where near a water source. In other words, I was screwed._

_For hours, I tried to find my way back to the docks. The only thing I accomplished was becoming more lost._

_The situation went from bad to worse when a monster found me._

"_Well look at this. A defenseless little demigod out on a stroll. Where's your mommy little hero?" The beast's dark eyes gleamed. His sharp pointed teeth formed into a smile. His skin seamed to be covered in scales._

_I glared at him in anger. That just caused him to laugh._

"_Ha Ha ha!" a long forked tongue shot out of his mouth. At that moment, my disgust for the monster peaked. I wished that I could make him stop laughing, but I was not strong enough._

_My only chance was to run. Where to, I didn't know. With no water I would surely die._

_Before I even got the chance, he grabbed me. His clawed hand grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me into the air. His other hand was raised. He was ready slash my throat with his claws._

_The he dropped me._

_I hit the ground hard. Quickly, I rolled away and then looked at the lizard man._

_His face was shocked. His body was tense. His chest had a knife in it._

_Wait, what?_

_Yes, a pointed blade was sticking out of the monster's chest. He looked down at the blade and said, "How?"_

_Then he turned to gold dust._

"_You need to be careful kid, these streets are dangerous," a voice said to me._

_It turned out that the blade had a person attached to it. Or was it the other way around? _

_Meh._

_The man holding the knife defined the term street urchin. His ragged clothes were two sizes to big. His pale face was covered in dirt and grime. Dark brown hair looked like a rat's nest. He looked completely disgusting. _

_I didn't care. That man had just saved my life._

_I quickly scrambled to my feet. As I looked up at the man, he gave me a lopsided grin. Mischief gleamed in his eyes._

"_You need to be careful child. These streets are dangerous," The man told me as he sheathed his knife._

_No truer words could have been said._

_After that meeting, the man took me to a small building called the Hidden Cave. It was an inn, a pub, and a hideout for many of the thieves in the city. That place was safe haven for those who had no where to go._

_It was perfect for me._

_No one asked you questions about your past. They didn't ask, because they didn't care. _

"_Te past es te past. Notn' we can do abooot et now" was the people's motto. To bad they were always drunk when they said that._

_The man who saved me was called Charlie. That was probably not his real name. But that was the beauty of the Hidden Cave. You chose your own name. I didn't change mine. I was always proud of the name given to be by my mother._

_Charlie explained to me about the gods and their children. He told me that all the stories my mother had taught me were true. I had figured that out already, but their was so much more to learn._

_Apparently, monsters was attracted to me because of my smell. They knew I was a child of a god. The beasts would stop at nothing to catch me and eat me. The worst part was that they would never truly die. After being 'killed', a monster would reform some time in the future._

_Huge bummer._

_So I needed to learn how to survive. Charlie taught me._

_Charlie as a child of Hermes was a thief (no duh). So the first thing he taught me was how to steal. _

_Many people would think 'stealing is wrong!' You would think that. Until you understood what it felt like to starve half-way to death._

_I was actually a natural pickpocket. I wasn't great at first, mind you. Better than most beginners._

_Sometimes, I was discovered. That was when the second lesson kicked in._

_I learned to run. Bet your thinking 'Who need to be taught how to run?' Think again._

_This type of running was different. It was called free running. _

_Charlie taught me how to climb, how to swing, and how to jump. Every day, I would run the streets. Injuries came frequently. Bruises and cuts covered my bodies. They came from falling and failing. _

_I learned quickly. My running technique was so good after a year that I could escape most men. Charlie would always catch me, though._

_For those times that I could not run fast enough, the third lesson came in. Hiding was a important skill for a thief. I learned how to disappear into a crowd. Practice allowed me to escape into the shadows. This was my bread and butter. Not even Charlie, the best thief in the city, could find me if I tried to hide. _

_I would later learn that it was affinity with the Mist that allowed me to do this._

_Of course, I never stopped practicing with water. Now that I knew that I was a demigod, I knew why I could control water. I knew my potential. As the son of Poseidon, I could become the strongest. _

_That was my plan. I would become strong enough to protect what I cared about. That was what consumed my thoughts as I practiced._

_The image of my dead mother plagued my dreams. Blood always seemed to cover my hands. Nightmares of that night haunted me._

_I was always insomniac. So, instead I would go to the water. Training would help make the images stop._

_After my year in the city, I could now do multiple water blasts in a row. I could now levitate small puddle of water above my head. That may seem small, but you try moving water with your will. Bet you can't do it._

_After training to the point of exhaustion, I would go back to the Hidden Cave and sleep. After the nightmares woke me up, I would meet up with Charlie. He would teach a few new tricks. I would practice all day. Then I would head to the water and the cycle would continue. _

_Yes, that was my routine for over a year. I was always tired and hungry. I always had a smile though. _

_Charlie would always make me laugh. My friends at the inn would tell me stories when there was time. The gamblers at the pub let me watch their games. And best of all, the monsters usually left me alone. If they didn't, I would just run to the inn or to water and the monster would die._

_I was happy. Until the Hidden Cave burned to the ground that is._

_It had been one of the bad nights. My nightmares kept me from sleeping. So I decided to stay by the water and rest. I did that multiple times before, so no one worried about me._

_I was just floating on my back in the water when I saw the smoke. At first I wasn't concerned. Some drunk idiot was probably causing trouble and would soon be killed by the guards. I was wrong._

_As the smoke began to increase, I notice that it was in the same direction as the inn. Then I panicked. With both the water and adrenaline, I ran faster than I thought possible._

_When I arrived, the inn was covered in flames. Without a second thought I ran into my burning home. I had to save my new family._

_I immediately began to sweat as I entered the inn. I had never experienced such heat. My skin began to burn. My throat was dry after only a moment. That didn't stop me._

"_Charlie!" I yelled as I crawled through the inn. _

_Gold dust covered the floors. There must have been a large attack by a group of monsters. They could no longer resist the urge to eat._

_Then I saw Charlie's head. Not his body. __**His head.**_

_I was paralyzed. The man who was like a brother to me was dead. He died in battle and I was not even there to help. Now the only thing left was his head. His mouth was open. His eyes were glazed over…_

_Then I threw up. I don't know what I could throw up. I had not eaten for a long time. But I threw up so much that my stomach and throat stung._

_I just sat there starring at his head. No matter how hard I tried, I could not look away. I knew that I should turn away and get out of the building before I burned to death. My body wouldn't move._

_I was going to let my self die there, but the Fates would not be so kind._

_Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms lift me up and carry me. I did nothing to stop them. I was in a mental shock._

_My mind only registered everything as a blur when I was carried out of the burning building. I barely registered that was dropped unceremonialy to the ground. I didn't even realize that my body was covered in different degrees of __burns as I lied on the dirty stone. What I did notice was that someone was coughing right by me. That person must have saved me._

_Before I knew it, my adrenaline had worn off and I had passed out._

_When I woke up I was on a boat. How did I know? I'm the son of freaking Poseidon. That's how._

_I was lying in a hammock as I regained consciousness. My joints were stiff. My eyes were itchy. My body was covered with burns. I felt completely sick as I remembered the previous events. I would have barfed if I had anything left in my stomach._

_Tears ran down my face. Charlie was gone. The inn was gone. My friends were gone._

_I didn't care when someone entered the room. I did not even give him a glance as he sat down a mere five feet away. He must have been the man who saved me._

_I felt no shame in crying. If the man thought less of me, that was his problem. My problem was bigger._

_For the second time in my life, I was completely alone. And I was only six._

* * *

><p><strong>Spring break has been crazy so far. I finally found five minutes where i could use my laptop uninterupted. I was editing it before my break began, but when it did everthing went to hell. I am serious. The s&amp;!t hit the fan this week. Luckily for you, I actually managed to post this.<strong>

**I am completely happy with the reviews. The amount of reviews more than doubled. My thanks and remember...**

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	9. Knowledge, Not Heart

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Chiron had trained many heroes. Some of them were legends. Most of them were forgotten in history. Every one of his students, whether they be male or female, had a story all their own.

Each story was unique. A hero could come from a rich family or be dirt poor. Heroes could grow proud in their accomplishments or become humbled by their adventures. The story of a hero may end well or finish with dismal results.

Yes, every hero had their own special story of struggles. The most.. unique… story was the tale of Percy Jackson, however.

Chiron met young Perseus under very unusual circumstances. After a long struggle and a lot of water splashing (Chiron swears that there is still water in his ears), Chiron managed to calm the child version of Percy down enough to actually explain who he was and what he wanted.

It didn't take a lot to convince Percy to train with him. The child was eager to learn how to defend himself. Not to say that Percy trusted him at first, no, far from it. Trust was something you had to earn from Percy. Percy was, is, and always will be the most paranoid person Chiron had ever met.

That did help the young warrior, though. Demigods needed to stay alert. If they let their guards down then they would die.

Percy almost never let his guard down.

As such, Chiron was not surprised when Percy addressed him without even looking at him.

"Hello Mentor," Percy almost whispered.

"Hello Perseus," Chiron responded.

The sun was setting. The light was shining over the camp. Red and orange consumed the sky. All of the cabins were casting long shadows across the camp. Even the strawberry fields, which were usually depressing in the winter, seemed to shine with new life.

"Such a beautiful sunset," Chiron remarked.

"Yes, Apollo seems to be in a good mood," Percy agreed with his teacher.

"He ha he, indeed! Everyone seems to be in a better mood since his visit. I wonder why he decided to stay for so long. It's as if someone sent him into a long guilt trip." Chiron gave his oldest living student a knowing look.

"Even gods need help at times. Of course, all I did was tell him what he needed to do. He did all the hard work." Percy casually stated.

Chiron just laughed.

They soon fell into a comfortable silence. Teacher and student stood side by side. Two people who mutually respected each other just let time run by. Neither had any reason to hurry.

Nevertheless, the silence could not last forever.

"I do have to ask and don't be offended, but why are you here?" Chiron asked.

"…I made a promise. Multiple promises, in fact, I hope to complete them all at once. Staying here for a few days is a part of them. I suppose I will have to stay in my old cabin…" Percy grimaced at that last thought.

"You actually made multiple promises? Usually you're more reluctant to give your word to someone." Chiron joked.

"Yes, but I made some exceptions. You know how hard it is for me to say no to women. Plus Nico just lost the only family member he had left… How could I ignore a kindred spirit?" Percy asked.

"Hmm. I guess you have gotten soft in your old age, Percy." Chiron joked

"Ha ha ha ah haahh a!" Percy actually laughed at that. "I should be the one saying that to you, Mentor."

They both laughed at themselves and their old age. Such joy could not last long for these two, however.

"I have felt the change in the Mist… I have heard the stories from the past few years…War is on the horizon again." Percy was now dead serious. His usual neutrality was in full force.

"Yes it is." Chiron sighed.

"…The prophecy will soon come true. I trust that you have trained the tree girl and my brother." Percy addressed his teacher.

"Yes, hopefully one of them will make the right decision. We can only pray now." Chiron answered.

"Praying to the gods will not help. They will eliminate any demigod who can potentially hurt them…or at least try." Percy's voice faded off.

Chiron remained silent.

"The tree girl will most likely be the person from the prophesy. But we can not assume anything. Neither of them may be the so called 'chosen one'." Percy said.

"….What are you implying Percy?" Chiron asked.

"Mentor, why would I imply anything? If I suspected anything, I would just tell you. You are my teacher." Percy was staring into his teacher's eyes. " I was just saying that life if fragile. Both of the children may die before they turn sixteen. Or they may just stop aging before then like I did."

Chiron said nothing.

"Diner approaches doesn't it? I suppose that I will need to eat. Never know when you will need energy. I do hope that this will not be to much of a fiasco." Percy simply stated.

"The Hunters along with you? Your hopes may just be crushed." Chiron remarked. He was glad that the lighter mood was back.

"Probably. Oh by the way, Mentor." Percy said as he walked away.

"Yes?" Chiron asked.

"They are called the Big **Three **for a reason. Do not think that Lord Hades will just sit around and let the prophesy go to someone else's child," Percy did not look back to see the shock on his teacher's face.

* * *

><p>Clark had a hard past twenty-four hours. He had been sent on a mission, captured, saved multiple times, and forced to deal with Artemis, an angry Thalia, man-hating Hunters, and Apollo.<p>

That was before he even reached the camp. Then he had to deal with all the other problems in his life. Annabeth was thinking about joining the Hunters. Bianca had joined the Hunters. Nico was depressed. Mr. D was being an ass. And Chiron refused to answer any questions he had for him.

Yeah, today sucked for him. It was almost over, though. What could happen now to make his day worse?

"Hello Clark Wayne" Percy Jackson said as he took a seat next to him.

Damn. He just had to ask.

"Um… hey Percy." Clark responded. Why now? Couldn't he just eat in peace for once? Especially after today.

Percy said nothing after Clark's greeting. He just began eating.

Clark thought that this was a bit rude. Percy sat a Poseidon's table and did not even say anything to it's sole occupant. Clark didn't say anything, though. Commenting on rudeness would be very hypocritical.

Clark continued to eat himself. They stayed silent, but Clark used this opportunity to assess his guest.

Percy had taken off his leather jacket. He now only wore a orange Camp Half-Blood shirt. Clark could not help noticing that Percy was very muscular. Most Demigods were very fit, but Percy seemed to have a body you would see on Greek statues.

The weirdest thing about him, though were his tattoos. On his right arm was a long chain that started on top of his right hand and then wrapped around his arm until it was covered by his sleeve. His left arm was more simple. The word **JACKSON **ran down the top of his forearm.

Clark understood why he put his name on his arm but the chain seemed weird…Wait! On his palm was what looked like a miniature blade. Maybe that sword he had earlier just turned in to a tattoo? Weirder things had happened.

"It is good to look for potential threats, but now your just staring," Percy said in between bites.

Clark had the decency to blush. He quickly looked down at the table. Then, Clark noticed Percy's food.

Like Clark, Percy was eating fish, but unlike him Percy had a bunch of fruit and vegetables. That was not what drew Clark's attention. What did confuses Clark was the fact that all of Percy's food was blue.

"Why is your food all blue?" Clark asked. He wasn't embarrassed to ask. Percy was sitting at his table for no reason after all.

Percy actually smirked and said, " It is an inside joke and my favorite color is blue."

"Oh…" Clark remarked.

As they ate, Clark noticed the many eyes on Percy and him. Almost all the tables were looking at them. Most of them were whispering and pointing. Chiron and Mr. D were not though, which was weird considering the rules about sitting at the right tables. The Hunters were just ignoring all of the campers.

"Your wondering why I am sitting here aren't you?" Percy addressed the question on almost everyone's mind.

"What?" Clark was surprised that Percy mentioned it. Clark assumed that he would have to bring it up.

"You and everyone else question why I sit at this table." Percy stated.

"Well, yes, I do at least. Why are you sitting here?" Clark asked.

"Well first to eat," Clark rolled his eyes at this, "Second, there are rules about which table I can sit at."

"Yeah! You need to sit at your parent's table." Clark used his authority voice. This guy, no matter how strong he was, was not above the rules.

"That is what I am doing," Percy's voice was neutral as he said this.

"Oh…," Clark's brain took a minute to process this, then, "Wait! That means…"

"Yes, Brother, I am a son of Poseidon," Percy finished for him, "I have been for a very long time."

There was silence. Obviously, the other tables heard this statement.

"Oh, by the way, don't worry about that prophesy crap. I was far older than sixteen when the prophesy was first stated."

Then the Dinning Hall erupted into chaos.

* * *

><p>Thalia was nervous. She had the right to be. So much had happened in one day. Driving the sun was torture. Dealing with the Hunters was frustrating. Learning that Percy Jackson, the newest badass at camp, was the son of Poseidon turned out to be just… terrible.<p>

After this day, all she wanted to do was go to her cabin and sleep for a very long time. That would have to wait, though. Right now she needed to have her questions answered.

So despite her nerves and fatigue, Thalia walked right up to Percy.

Percy, at the moment, was sitting by the camp fire. Usually, by now, the fire was put out. Chiron made an exception because Percy was there. The whole water control thing probably put Chiron's mind at ease.

"Greeting Tree Girl," Percy greeted his cousin. His eyes never left the fire.

"Uh…yah, what's up?" Thalia did not like that new nickname, "Don't call me that, okay?"

"If that is what you want, Thalia Grace," Percy responded.

Thalia did not like her last name much either, but beggars did not get to choose.

Thalia sat down across from Percy. Like him, she sat on the ground. Percy looked up for a brief moment. At that moment she felt the approval of said action . She did not understand why he approved of her sitting on the ground, but she did not comment on it.

"I wanted to ask you about what you did on the sun chariot." Thalia was never good about beating around the bush. Percy didn't seem to care though. In fact, he gave her the same look as before.

"You want to know how and why I helped you with your fear of heights." Percy seemed to read her mind as he looked into her eyes. Thalia now had his full attention.

'Wow,' Thalia thought, 'His eyes look like an old war veteran's'

Thalia did not blush. No sir. The heat from the fire was just heating up her face.

"Yep, you guessed it. Mostly I just want to know how you could possibly use the mist in such a way." Thalia responded.

Percy was quite for a few seconds. Thalia understood that he wanted to word his answer right, so she staid patient.

"I always had a natural affinity with the Mist," Percy finally spoke, "I could always use it to help benefit my struggle to survive. It saved me far more times than once."

Percy paused for a moment then continued.

"You have to understand I have lived for a very long time. Please don't ask how." Percy's eyes narrowed for a moment, "During this time, I learned a lot about the Mist. How it works and what it is. I do not wish to go into details, but I learned how to actually change how people feel. I could totally change a person's personality if I wanted to.

Of course, there are restrictions. While controlling mortals in such a way is easy, demigods and monsters are a lot harder. If I wanted to, I could change someone, but it is difficult and if the person I am influencing fights back, then it is nearly impossible.

When you were driving the sun chariot, you were very stressed. You might have accidentally hurt someone, so I decided to step in. I used the mist to suppress your fear and give you courage. It was very easy because you were so willing to change at that moment. If you fought it then it would not have worked.

I did not take away your fear altogether. That would cause emotional scarring. But know it is my turn to ask a question. Why are you afraid of heights, Thalia Grace?" Percy finished his explanation.

Thalia could tell that Percy did not give a damn if she answered or not. He did not care, but he was forced to help and deserved an explanation.

" I don't know really, I just have. It's weird. It would be like you being afraid of water."

Thalia answered.

"…Do you trust your father?" Percy asked.

"What?" Thalia was surprised.

"You don't, do you?" Percy's eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, " You do not trust your father. You fear that he does not love you and that he will betray you. Why this is, I do not know. Your past is not for me to investigate. But I do know that your fear of your father stems into your fear of heights. As long as you do not trust Zeus, your will have a fear of falling."

Thalia was stunned. She never thought about it that way.

Percy then stood up and put out the fire.

"Come Miss Grace, I will walk you to your cabin." Percy helped Thalia off the ground and excorted her to her cabin.

"I don't need someone to protect me," Thalia snapped at Percy.

"Yes, but letting a young woman walk at night alone would be rude. Even if she can protect herself. I do not doubt your skills or the camp's protection, I am just doing what I believe is right."

Thalia said nothing after this.

The two soon arrived at Zeus' cabin. When they arrived, Percy nodded his head towards her and said,

"Try to sleep well, Thalia Grace. May your dreams remain peaceful." Then he muttered to himself, "I suppose I will need to sleep tonight. It has been a few days."

Before he turned away, Thalia said, "You act as if you do not care, but you still help others. You scolded Apollo, you promised to train Nico tomorrow, and you even helped me with my emotional problems. Why?"

Percy looked away from her. For a moment he looked at the sky, then at the Big House, and then he turned back to her.

"I help others because I know in my mind that it is right. Even if my heart doesn't anymore."

Percy then turned away.

"Goodnight, Thalia Grace."

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><p><strong>Yes, I am back. I lost my muse for a while there. Then I got into a huge video game kick (skyrim and mass effect 3). Then more exams. Yeah...lame excuses but oh well. I do appologize.<strong>

**Hopefully my attention won't stray too much...**

**What is with all the crap going on with this website? Stories being deleted. People writing potitons. Everything seems so chaotic. It's kind of funny actually.**

**The whole sex and violence regulations seem stupid, granted nothing in my story is all that bad...so far...I guess I will need to tread carefully from now on. At least with the violence, I never intended to write a sex scene. Plenty of violence in future chapters, mind you, but I never intended to write about Percy during intercourse. Writing lemons is Not my style at all.**

**To move on,the origins chapters are vague about location, becauce Percy is young in these chapters and doesn't remember a lot from this point in his life. He may seem too young, but think about it. Percy only survives by running and hiding. The water and the Mist help keep him alive. That first control over water was because of anger, grief, and adreneline.**** He cannot fight really. He is just very very lucky.**

**Next chapter will be an Origins. How will Percy deal with the loss of the theives?**

**By the way, if you find grammar and spelling mistakes, please tell me, just don't be all in my face about it. okay?**

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	10. Origins: Merchants

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Percy translates all language to modern English in the Origin chapters.

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><p>Origins:Merchants<p>

_T__he months that passed after the fire were a mere blur to me. After losing all of my comrades I went into what people today would call a depression. Back then, we called it life._

_I grew more and more dismal every day, and I didn't have the fancy drugs of future society to help. My body moved in auto-pilot as I went about the day. The only reason I didn't end it all was because I knew that my mom, Charlie, and the rest of the people at the Hidden Cave would want me to keep living._

_But that was the thing. There is a difference between being alive and living. _

_I was not truly living. I was a lost soul looking for a reason to live other than because of memories. _

_My memory from this time is very fuzzy. My grief got the best of me if I did not keep myself busy. Even then I sometimes had to take a moment to compose myself._

_If it wasn't for the Captain and his crew, I might have lost my mind._

_The person that saved me from the fire was the Captain of the… well in English it would be called the Sinking Rock._

…_Yes, the name sucked for a boat, but for some reason everyone thought it was funny. The humor of that time period was really dark._

_Anyway, I had already met the Captain several times before. He was the captain of a trader/merchant ship. _

_The Captain had a deal with the thieves of the Hidden Cave. As long as the Hidden Cave was not known as a thieves base, he would continue to trade with them for a reasonable price._

_The thieves needed someway to get supplies. Stealing everything you needed to run a tavern and secret base would lead to trouble with the guards. _

_To avoid such trouble and destruction, the thieves used the stolen money to buy goods from other cities. I asked why they didn't just buy goods around the city. Apparently, no one want to have their face recognized by someone they had stolen from earlier. Life was complicated for thieves._

_This system worked for both the thieves and the traders. Thieves got supplies they needed and the traders got rid of merchandise while still making a profit._

_While I was staying at the Hidden Cave, several different merchant ships did business with the thieves at the Hidden Cave. I remember some of them, but the crew of the Sinking Rock stood out in my mind even before the fire. _

_The Captain was a good friend to Charlie. They always joked with each other when the Captain was in the city. Charlie trusted the Captain, so I knew that I could too._

_It was coincidental that the Sinking Rock was in port that day. I doubt any other crew would have bothered to try to save a bunch of thieves. The Captain saved my life, I just wish that I could remember his name._

_As I said I remember very little from this time. And everybody called him Captain, even the thieves._

_After saving me, the Captain offered to let me sail with him and his crew. He knew I wouldn't help much with the physical aspects of sailing with me being a child and all. Having a son of Poseidon on the ship was sure to bring good fortune._

_A child of Athena was thinking ahead again…at least I think he was Athena's son. He was demigod, I knew that for sure._

_Before you mention the whole, Athena hating Poseidon thing, you should know that not every child of a god adopts their parent's way of thinking. Some of us, especially back then, didn't really care too much about what our parent's preferences were._

_So I joined the crew of the Sinking Ship. (Bet that sounds weird.)_

_Most of my work was as a cabin boy. It wasn't pretty for sure, but it was worth not having to worry about my next meal._

_The crew traveled to different cities. Many different goods were sold and bought. I was still to hazy to remember anything remarkable about my travels or the goods that were on the ship._

_As time passed, my emotional wounds slowly healed into scars. I continued to train every chance I got. When in a city, I would always go practice my pick pocketing skills and my free running skills. It hurt my heart to use the skills Charlie taught me, but knowing that he could live on in me drove me to hone my skills._

_Water manipulation was a daily aspect of my training. My skills grew at a faster pace now that water was around me constantly._

_While I could not practice the more destructive aspects of my power while out at sea, I could practice more the more refined water manipulation techniques. I started with hovering a small droplet of water in mid air. Then I quickly added more droplets day by day until I could hove a whole bucket worth of water in the air._

_The next step I took was shaping the water. First, I tried simple shapes like circles and squares. Later, I could make more difficult shapes like weapons._

_Weapons that could not help me. I had no knowledge of how to wield a sword or knife. Charlie refused to teach me how to use a knife. He probably wanted me to keep some of my innocence. Too bad he already taught me to steal. Charlie was never the most logical person._

_The Captain never had the time nor the patience to teach me to fight. He was a complicated man and a piss pore teacher. He expected perfection too quickly and refused to continue teaching me. He even forbid the crew from teaching me._

_You probably think he was an ass hole. Sometimes he was one. He had a stressful job of taking care of the crew and dealing with all the trading. He usually was nice, but the stress got the best of him sometimes._

_So I had no one to teach me how to fight. A part of me was hurt that I had no one to help me protect myself. Another part of me, a very small and deep part of me, didn't care. That part of me scared me a little bit. I didn't understand why I would except loneliness so easily._

_Of course that fear would die over time._

_Time passed while I was traveling with the ship and crew. I slowly grew both in height and in skill. _

_Sailing was natural to me. Living at sea was ingrained in my blood. The calmness of the gentle waves always calmed me._

_After my mourning process was over, I started to regain some of the happiness I had in the past. Life on the Sinking Rock was probably the most relaxing time of my life up to that point. _

_I had so little to actually worry about. I did not have to find my own food. I did not have to worry about monsters, much. And I had a sense of peace only the sea could provide to me._

_Still deep down I knew it would not last. Something would happen to the ship. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but as long as I was on that ship I knew that danger would eventually find me._

_Luckily, it did not find me until after I left the crew._

_Two years after I first started sailing with the crew of the Sinking Rock, the ship landed in a small village whole name would be changed multiple times throughout history._

_The ship had been traveling for a long time up to that point. We had to many different countries at that point. In fact, we had been in so many different countries, the languages had blended in my mind. My brain as a child accepted the many languages I had learned. In fact, I am no longer able to remember what my original language was or what country I was born in. The crew wasn't any help either. Every person on the ship was from a different country. Even the ship was from a differnt country from my own._

_It may seem weird to you. But with my life, and with all the traveling (not to mention some mental blocks to stop unwanted memories), I could not never recall where my so called 'home' country was. I never really cared either._

_I did know, however, that the country that the small town was in Spain. That fact would forever be burned in my mind, because it was the last time I would see the crew of the Sinking Rock and because it was the place where my life would change forever._

_As always, I went free running as soon as the ship landed. There was not much to climb, but that didn't stop me._

_For hours, I climbed and jumped across the rooftops. I had some trouble because I did not get a lot of practice while we were sailing, but I quickly adjusted to the running._

_Of course, nothing could ever stay simple in my life. I had made a wrong move while climbing down from a roof and I fell down right to the alley below._

_I groaned as I picked myself off the ground. There were no serious injuries, but I would be sore the next._

_As I was scolding myself on my sloppy technique, a laughing voice sounded down the alley. I froze both from embarrassment and from caution._

_Someone had seen me. If said person was I threat, I might need to run back to the ship._

_The man as I could see him was in no way normal. In fact, I would not have called him a man back then. He was more animal than man. Literally. Instead of legs, he had the body of a horse under his torso._

_Only one thought passed through my mind. 'Monster.'_

_Of course, I would not call a centaur a monster now, but back then I had yet to encounter a friendly being that was not human._

_Before I could think of a plan, the centaur spoke. "That was some fall you had there young man. You should be careful. Climbing like that could get you hurt."_

_I was insulted. How dare that thing insult my free running skills! That was my first fall in months! "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." Still I knew better than to open my big mouth, say something stupid, and get myself in trouble. _

_My mind was quickly forming a plan of escape. It had rained recently. Water covered the ground. If I blast him from water with both sides, it might give me enough time to climb to the nearest roof. Looking at his legs, I knew that he would not be able to follow me. I just had to distract him enough to buy time._

"_I'm sure you can young demigod. But from the way your acting, your plan of survival is merely to run. Fighting is not an option for you." The centaur observed._

'_Yeah, just keep talking. Just a little bit longer.' "How do you know centaur?" I was now stalling for as long as possible._

"_I have seen many warriors. I have trained many warriors. You do not hold yourself as a warrior, or at least not yet." The centaur answered._

'_Just a few more seconds' "Yeah, well I have been looking for someone to teach me. It's been a lot harder than I thought." I was now ready._

"_Well, now that you menti…." He was cut off by two torrents of water blasting him from both sides. He was clearly stunned, but for extra measure I blasted him a third time knocking him back down the alley. With that I hurled myself up the wall._

_I laughed in exhaustion. I had never blasted that much water at once before. I took a moment to regain some energy. I was safe for now the centaur had no way to reach me and he had no weapons on him._

_Staring at the centaur, I felt a flicker of regret. The centaur never did look threatening. Now soaking wet, the centaur was trying to compose himself. _

_Normally I would have run off. For some reason, I didn't. I just stood there staring. Something was keeping me from running. I never knew why. Instinct? Sympathy? Fate?_

_The centaur was now back on his feet and staring at me. I stared back._

"_Why didn't you run?" He asked._

_I didn't give an answer._

_Apparently he didn't need one. "So you said you need a teacher."_

_That started the whole conversation. He explained everything. He told me his name, occupation, and the reason he was there._

_The centaur was Chiron. __**The Chiron**__. I could barely believe it. The greatest teacher in the world was in front of me. And he wanted me to be his student._

"_I have other students as well. We are all camped out in the forest right now. If you want you may join us in our travels." Chiron offered._

_I paused. I did not know if I could trust him. He could be lying. He could be trying to lure me away from water. _

_This is what my mind thought. My instincts said otherwise. _

_They said to trust him. He would help me. He would make me strong._

_What should I trust? My mind or my instincts? _

_I made my choice. I climbed down the wall and said, "I would be honored to be your student, Mentor."_

* * *

><p><strong>Hello Readers. I know that this update was slow. I was dividing my time between this and my new one-shot I am working on. When I finally finish it, you should check it out. It will be a Naruto story.<strong>

**I thank you for your comments, questions, and encoragements. They have helped a lot.**

**I will try to update sooner. Only if my life doesn't get in the way first.**

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	11. Experience

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Dreams are curious things. People for centuries have tried to know the meaning of dreams. Were they our deepest desires? Were they our greatest fears? Were they warnings of the future?

No mortal knows for sure. Even demigods, monsters, and most minor gods are clueless about the sub-conscientious images that form the mind creates during slumber.

That didn't stop them from making theories, though.

To mortals, dreams were expressions of yourself in the most basic level. To demigods, dreams were messages of the past and future. To the gods, dreams were passages to other planes of existence.

Every person has his own answer to what dreams were. Dreams were different to every person., except for one thing.

The most important about dreams was undeniable. Dreams are windows of escape. They allow a person to exit reality, and view what the dreamer believes to be absolute. They could be absolute truths, absolute objects, or absolute emotions.

The key word is absolute. Dreams are absolute. They are absolute escapes from life itself.

Except for Percy, of course. Percy could never escape his responsibilities.

Granted demigods did not have the best track record with sleeping, but even they could have a few nights with no nightmares. Percy, however, had long since accepted that he would never have a good nights sleep.

This night was no exception.

* * *

><p>Everything was dark. That was the first thing Percy noticed and there was not much else to about it.<p>

Then slowly forms began to take shape. Dark fire burned from the newly formed torches. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all dark in color and the shadows only increased the dark theme.

The room Percy found himself in was very large room. Columns rose from the ground and reached the high ceiling above him. Carvings which were demonic in nature were all over the room. Chains stained with blood hung from the ceiling.

All of this was designed for two purposes. First, to install fear into people. Second, to bring attention to the giant throne in the room.

Percy knew where he was instantly.

"Greetings, Percy Jackson," A dark booming voice sounded from the throne.

"Hello, Lord Hades," Percy answered. This was going to end well for sure.

"You are aware of why I called you here," This was a statement not a question.

"I have an idea," Percy responded then paused. "…I was surprised to see them. After what happened to their mother, I thought that you would keep them in that pathetic hotel until the prophecy was over."

"Things change. I could not let something so important as the fate of the world be left in the hands of the arrogant children of my foolish, lying brothers. No offence warrior." Hades was referring to the children part. He knew Percy agreed with him about Zeus and Poseidon.

"None taken Lord Hades." Percy could not be offended so easily.

"Both of my brothers broke their promises," Hades continued, "then they allowed their children to be rebellious and destructive. Your brat of a brother actually accused me of stealing Zeus' thunderbolt. Why would I want to do that anyway?"

"Stereotyping is a terrible thing…" Percy commented.

"Yes, we both know how hurtful that can be." They settled into a comfortable silence. The two simply enjoyed a moment of peace. They were so rare in life. In addition to fleeting of course.

"After I saw the attitude of Clark and Thalia and the hesitation of my brothers to sacrifice their children like they were ready to do to mine, I knew that Bianca and Nico were now needed. The Tree Girl and Water Spout can't be the part of this prophecy." Hades anger was clear.

"Are you sure that you are not just still angry at Zeus for killing Maria?" If Percy did not have Hades' respect, then the god of the Underworld would have lost his temper. And that would be bad.

"…A little…but I am right about them. Neither of those children can be part of the prophecy and keep this world in tact." Hades was still angry. Percy knew he had better change the subject.

"You do not have to convince me. What's done is done. Instead let's talk about your children's future. Bianca is now part of the Hunt. She can no longer be part of the prophecy. That leaves Nico, who is too young for the prophecy right now…" Percy trailed off.

Percy always hated having a conversation in his dreams like this. He lacked a body necessary to pace, sit, or even turn his head. Right now he was a floating spirit. It made him feel weak. He hated feeling weak.

"And that brings us to why you are here. Bianca was originally the one I planned to be in the prophecy. I never dreamed she would join the Hunt, but-but sigh… if she is happy with that then fine. She will be safe in the Hunters. Nico is another story, though. He is young, inexperienced, and naïve. He is no where near ready to fight, and now his sister can't protect him." Hades spoke.

"I noticed," Percy said.

"So I need someone to help him. Someone who skilled. Someone who will not judge him for his relation to me. Someone who can teach him to survive." Hades was now beating around the push. Percy hated that.

"I already agreed to show some sword play. In fact, we are supposed to meet tomorrow. Chiron can take care of the rest." Percy stopped Hades from continuing.

Hades smirked at him. "That's good, but its not what I meant. I want you to take him as an apprentice."

Silence. Perfect silence was his answer.

"…You do realize my track record with your children is terrible." Percy reminded Hades.

"Yes, but they went too far to prove their own greatness. I do not blame you. I never did. Unlike the other gods, I do not hold the grudges of my children." Hades responded.

"…OK, what about my track record with people. In fact, so many people and monsters died because of me, most immortals know me as Death Walker," Percy argued.

"So a few people died, what about it? Death happens. Trust me, I'm an expert on that. Nico has a better chance of surviving with you than at camp. Especially after one of the campers figures it out. Children of the Big Three have never been called subtle." Hades answered.

"…This is the third request I have gotten this week from a god…Originally, I just offered to train him because of his sister…Losing someone like that hurts and I knew he looked up to me… but," Percy did not think this was a good idea.

Sure he had taught people before, but that was different. Showing someone the basics of fighting is easy. Training someone as a warrior and person was one of the few things Percy had never done.

"I'll think about it," Percy finally answered.

"Good," Hades was pleased.

"…Before I go, how is Rebecca?" Percy had to ask.

"She is enjoying the rewards of her heroic deeds." Hades responded. "Were you worried about her?"

Percy snorted, "Hell no, I knew she would be fine. I just… I just miss her."

Hades was silent. If he was sympathetic, he didn't show it.

While he and Percy were on decent terms now, they had not always been that way. Many of Percy's old quests caused trouble for Hades, unintentionally of course. And Hades knew that Percy remembered all of the trials Hades caused for him.

Their civil behavior toward each other began far into Percy's long life. Right before Percy met the now late Rebecca Jackson, in fact.

Soon the room began to blur. Percy's dream was shifting.

"It's been a pleasure, Percy. Keep Nico safe."

* * *

><p>After the meeting with Hades, Percy's usual dreams of blood, tears, and pain returned. For a short while anyway.<p>

Morning, however, brought an end to Percy's terrifying nightmares and brought the beginning of a new day.

As Percy moved to sit up in his bed, he rubbed his eyes. He had not slept in an actually bed for a few months. It was nice to wake up without the stiffness gain from sleeping on the ground.

Sitting on the side of his bed, Percy looked to see his brother still asleep. Percy made sure to choose a bed a few rows down and on the opposite side of the cabin. Clark probably needed distance after finding out he has another half-brother.

Staying silent Percy rose from his bed. He quickly put his shirt and jeans on, then fixed the bed to look presentable. Percy had many different sets of clothes stored at this camp. He had yet to retrieve them so he wore his clothes from yesterday.

The good thing about being a son of Poseidon, you can clean and dry your clothes at will as long as you have enough water. Percy did feel like going for a good swim.

After putting his boots on and grabbing his leather jacket, Percy silently exited the cabin. No need to wake the brat up.

As he walked to the lake, Percy noticed that there was a lot of activity at the Big House. Usually, this would bother no one, but considering it was five in the morning…

'I had better make sure there is no emergency,' Percy thought.

* * *

><p>Chiron was very tired. Yesterday had been very stressful and all he wanted was to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.<p>

He was interrupted half-way through, though. No rest for the weary…

"_We need to depart immediately!_" Zoë yelled. She apparently woke up two hours ago after having a vision. She said that Artemis had been kidnapped. Chiron believed her, but he wished that she would stop switching languages. She had been through Greek, French, and Spanish already.

After waking up, Zoë stormed to the Big House. She demanded to see Chiron, and, in the process, angered Argus. That started the whole fiasco.

Zoë and Argus were about ready to rip each others' heads off. It had taken a long time to cool both of them down and then get the Hunters to stop panicking.

Grover was not helping either. He swapping back and forth between admiring Zoë and gaping at Chiron's sleep attire. Yes, he had yet take out the curlers in his tail…

Don't judge him. He could kill you!

"I know that you're distressed right now, but you need to think rationally. Lady Artemis ordered you to stay hear and I cannot allow you to leave unless she says so." Chiron made sure to stay calm. This situation was dire, but panic would not help.

"How can she give us orders if she is gone!?" Zoë looked almost crazed right now. Chiron understood her goddess was in danger, but this was not helping the situation or his growing headache.

He was about to answer, when another voice spoke.

"Would Lady Artemis want you to put the Hunters in danger?" the voice of Percy Jackson.

Zoë turned her head so fast, her neck popped. A lesser man would have pissed his pants at her look. Percy just ignored it. "What?!"

"You are demanding to take all of the Hunters to search for Lady Artemis, correct?" He receive a nod from Chiron and continued, "Think about that for a moment. You are going to take an entire group of Hunters to search for a goddess who was captured by a force which has to be stronger than said goddess. Then if you do find her, you plan to fight the force which bested the Olympian. How will that work out?"

Zoë still glared at the man, but it looked like she was listening to him. She turned back to Chiron. "What do thee suggest we do then?"

Chiron sent a silent thank you to the gods for Percy right now. That saved him some trouble at least.

"We need to wait. As Percy said, running off right now will not help. Even if we did know where Artemis is right now. I couldn't just send you out. But considering that we don't know where Lady Artemis is now, we should stay calm and wait for a sign of what to do next." Chiron explained.

Zoë did not look happy, but she still nodded.

"Fine we will do it thine way," with that, she stormed out the door. She probably was going to speak with the other Hunters.

"Thank you, Percy." Chiron smiled at his student. Grover was staring in wonder at Percy.

"It was nothing, Mentor. I was glad to help." Percy was now rubbing his eyes with his right hand. A habit he picked up from his teacher.

"How did you do that?" Grover asked. He looked like a gapping fish at the moment.

"Even the greatest man-hatter will listen to sound logic." Percy answered.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but why are you here right now, Percy?" Chiron questioned.

"I was on my way for a wake up swim when I saw the commotion. This is quite disturbing, Mentor." Percy responded.

"Yes, Artemis disappearing is a bad sign." Chiron agreed.

"Oh, yes…that. I was talking about your curlers." Percy stated as he walked out the door.

Chiron was now the one who looked like a fish. Grover took the look of a hyena by failing to hide his laughter.

Chiron then sighed and shook his head. That brought back memories

'Ah, simpler times,' He thought with a smile. Time to get some sleep before the other campers woke up.

* * *

><p>Nico was not usually excited to wake up at eight in the morning. Today was an exception.<p>

Today, Nico was going to train with Percy. He was going to learn all sorts of fancy moves. Soon he would be a hero and go on quests and become famous….

That was when Nico's mind began to wander. He day dreamed of an adult version of himself slaying monsters and taking names. Ah, the mind of a young, naïve child. No real grip on reality

Nico was supposed to meet Percy by the lake. He assumed Percy had some super secret training technique that only a son of Poseidon could create.

Many people were shocked about Percy's heritage. Nico just thought, well duh.

Who else could control snow (a form of water) like an arm? In fact, did anyone else notice that Percy was completely dry after the fight? Even his boot were dry as bone and he was walking around in melting snow for the love of the gods.

'It's not that hard people' Nico thought. Granted only a few people saw Percy fight, but those few were the most shocked.

What? Nico is young and inexperience, not stupid.

These thoughts soon faded as Nico approached the Lake.

As soon as he saw Percy, Nico took off running. He was so excited!

The distant look on Percy's face slowed him down. Percy looked hundreds of miles away. Yet the only thing he was looking at was something small attached to a long necklace chain.

Nico did not see what it was, but Percy was holding it between his thumb and his index finger. In Percy's other hand, a small white handkerchief was held. It was held like Percy was polishing the necklace in his hand when he got distracted. Nico could not see what it was that Percy was holding, but by Percy's look, it was probably important to the child of the King of the Sea.

This sight quickly vanished when Percy caught sight of Nico. He put the necklace on and hid the chain under his collar before zipping up his jacket. Percy then put his handkerchief into his pocket.

While Nico was insensitive to a lot of things. **A lot of things**. He knew that bringing up the necklace would bring an end to this lesson. So, Nico kept his mouth shut about it.

"Good morning, Nico." Percy greeted the young demigod.

"Good morning!" Nico nearly shouted. He close to bouncing. This was going to be so exciting!

Percy then sat down on the ground and gestured for Nico to do the same. After they were both seated, Percy closed his eyes for a moment. He did not say anything he just sat there.

Nico was confused. What was he doing? Were they going to train or not?

Nico decided to be tactful in his question. "What the heck are you doing?" He failed.

"I am meditating. It helps build control. This is your first lesson." Percy then opened his eyes. "To be a true swordsman, you need control. Without control your blade will fail you. Without control you will lose all confrontations. Without control you will die."

"Wha-," Nico suddenly got pale.

"Not many heroes have control. That's why most of them die painfully. Now, I am probably scarring you right now, but guess what. That's good. That is your second lesson. Fear is not bad. It produces caution. Caution will keep you alive. Don't, however, let fear control you. You should always be in control."

For once, Nico had nothing to say. This is not what he was expecting.

"Your third lesson is this. Death happens. Now that you know that you are a demigod, monsters will always attack you. They will try to kill you. They will succeed too, if you let them.

"You might think that I'm being harsh and brutal. Yes, yes I am. But we do not have time for me to hold your hand. Like it or not, you are now part of this world. So you need to get used to it.

"Let me tell you now. If you decide to learn under me, I will not let you quit. As my student you will learn and you will survive. But my training will not be fun. At some points, you will hate me.

"Right now is your only chance to leave. You can get up and go back with the other campers. You can take everything slow. You can enjoy your childhood for a little longer. Or you can stay here and be my student. Doing this will end your childhood. Doing this will change you into a new person. Doing this will cause this current Nico to die, and in his place a new evolved Nico will rise.

"What is your choice Nico?" Percy finished.

This was a turning point in the young demigod's life. He now had two paths ahead of him. He did not know how either path will end. The beginning was now though.

Normal children would have run away from this psychopath who was telling a child about death and pain. But Nico couldn't bring himself to do it. Leaving now was the safer choice. Chiron and the other demigods could help him.

Not as much as Percy could help, though. Chiron had others to teach and the other campers had their own problems to deal with.

Nico knew what Bianca would do in this situation. She would go back to camp. She would take the safer path. She would forget all about Percy.

Just like she did to Nico.

Nico loved his sister. She used to be everything to him. Now, she was a Hunter. She left him weak and defenseless.

He couldn't stay like this. He knew what he needed to choose.

"Please, teach me how to survive."

"…Okay, let's get started," Percy said. "Meditation will be your first exercise. Meditation clears the mind and body of unwanted stress. It gives you a new view on yourself. Now, do what I do. Cross your legs. Put your hands on your knees. Straighten your back. Good, now close your eyes and take deep, steady breaths." Percy explained.

Nico did as he was told. He had troubles not fidgeting. He never could sit still. So, he focused on not moving.

"Demigods are fidgety. It is our instincts in battle taking over. That is why you need control. If you rely on you instincts completely, then you will be in trouble when they are to slow to save you. "

They continued to meditate for a few more minutes. Nico couldn't force himself to stay still. He need to move around, but he couldn't. Percy could do this, quite easily in fact, so why couldn't he?

"Good, Nico." Nico snapped open his eyes. When did Percy stand up?

"You did well fighting your battle instincts. Remember, you control them, not the other way around. Everyday you should meditate for at least fifteen minutes. It will be difficult and slow process, but the results will be worth it." Percy spoke to Nico as he helped the young demigod up.

Nico's legs were a little stiff now. He hoped he could meditate in a more comfortable spot next time.

Percy looked out at the water for a moment and then turned back. "When fighting, whether with weapons or not, what are the most important aspects?"

"Umm…ahh…power?" Nico guessed.

"Power is important, but no, power is actually secondary. The most important things are your base and your guard.

"Your base is the positions of your legs and feet. Every move you make, whether offensive, defensive, or evasive, essentially comes down to where your base is or was. If your feet are in the wrong positions, none of your moves will be effective. Without support, your attacks are meaningless. Without your base, blocking is nearly impossible. Without the proper position, you can do nothing.

"Next is your guard. Your guard is the position of your arms. A guard is necessary for two reasons. One: a guard is a sign of readiness. If your guard is down, you are not ready for a conflict. Keeping your guard down is the ultimate sign of trust, confidence, or arrogance. Two: a guard allows your blocks and strikes to move faster. Those nanoseconds can mean the difference between life and death.

"Do you understand what I'm talking about, Nico?" Percy finished his explanation with a question.

'This is a lot to take in,' Nico thought, "Umm. So your saying that where you position your limbs is very important?"

"Yes, very good, Nico." Percy complimented. Nico beamed at the praise.

"During a fight, though, you cannot think about where your arms and legs should be. That's why this next drill is necessary. To move without consciously thinking about it, you need to build muscle memory. Which means that we will build a habit of positioning by repetition." Percy told Nico.

"Umm… what do you mean?" Nico was very confused.

"What does every athlete do to get better?" Percy asked.

"They practice, of course…Oh!" Nico exclaimed.

"Yes, they practice the same drills hundreds of thousands of times. Athletes and Warriors are similar in this and many other aspects. To be the best, one must practice until the movements are instinctual. You have to move without thinking or you will fail." Percy explained.

"So how do I do that?" Nico asked.

"You are going to practice getting into the same fighting position over and over again. This will be extremely boring, but it is necessary." Percy said as he walked to the water. He then pulled out two swords out of the lake and dried them. Nico felt like he was ready to explode when Percy gave him his sword.

"I put these here earlier. I hid them because I wanted you to stay focused." Percy then took a stance. His legs were shoulder length apart. His right leg was in front, but his feet were parallel to each other. Percy held the sword in front of him with both hands. "This is one of the most basic stances. Now, try it for yourself."

Nico did so, but he did not feel right. The sword was heavy and he felt off balance.

Percy stabbed his sword into the ground and walked over to Nico. He corrected Nico's stance and stepped back.

'I feel more balanced at least,' Nico thought.

"Release your stance… Alright Nico, to build your muscle memory, you will continue to practice your stance. I will help make any corrections if need be." Percy spoke.

At the beginning, Percy corrected Nico's stance in multiple ways. 'Shoulders more relaxed. Deeper stance. Hold your sword higher.' Percy said. Later, though. Percy corrected less and less. And eventually.

"There that stance is perfect, Nico. Let's stop on that good note, shall we?" Percy said as he retrieved his sword.

Nico was a bit disappointed. This was important, he understood that. But he expected more from this. And of course, he voiced his opinion.

"Nico, do you really think you are done training today? That wasn't even the warm up. In fact, that wasn't even the pre- warm up. That was to make sure you know enough to stay alive in the real training. After breakfast, the real training will begin. And trust me, by the end of the day you will wish you could go back to this." Percy's voice was still neutral in tone, but for some reason, Nico felt scared.

'Is he serious?' Nico thought as they walked back to camp.

His training can't be that bad, right?

…Right?

* * *

><p>Clark Wayne was nursing his growing headache. His winter break was not supposed to be this stressful. He was supposed to help Grover then spend the rest of his vacation trying not to worry about Luke, Kronos, or war.<p>

Instead, his female friends were avoiding him. The Hunters were causing trouble. Grover was acting like a stupid lost puppy. And finally, he had a new half brother.

'Really Dad? First Tyson and now this.' Clark complained in his mind.

In foresight, it was obvious with the snow and unbelievable fighting abilities. Clark knew that snow could increase his own fighting ability a little, not enough to beat the manticore, though.

So, for some one like Jackson, who apparently had some form of immortality and at least over 60 years of practice (at **least,** according to Clark's math), this ability could be used to move at superhuman levels.

That explained why the fight was so one sided. It was like a lion without teeth or claws fighting a shark 50 feet below water. The monster never stood a chance against Percy Jackson.

The fight might have been less one sided if the snow wasn't there, but Clark quickly dismissed these thoughts. If's did not matter in a fight. The only thing that mattered was how the fight ended. In the end, Jackson won. It doesn't matter how. All's fair in love and war.

But that just gave Clark a whole new reason to be afraid.

It was a primal fear, really. Clark had always been at the top. He was naturally strong, thanks to his parentage. Now someone has come along who was faster, stronger, had more control over water, and was definitely more experienced.

Jackson could easily kill him. That Clark was certain of.

'I need to train more,' Clark thought, 'More and more dangerous enemies keep appearing.'

So that was what he was going to do. He had trained all day and was getting ready to go eat lunch when a large commotion caught his attention.

There was a large crowd around the sparing area. Most of the crowd was from the Aires cabin, but many others were there too.

As he neared, Clark recognized a familiar face in the crowd.

"Hey Beckendorf, what's happening?" Clark asked the head of the Hephaestus cabin.

"That guy Jackson was bringing a nice bike over to the shop, where that came from, I don't know, but he was asking me if I could check maintenance on it ('The answer was definitely yes, knowing you,' Clark thought.) when Clarisse came over and started challenging Jackson to a fight. As you can see, this is where it led to." Beckendorf answered.

"Thanks," Clark said to Beckendorf. 'I have to get closer.'

After Clark forced his way to the front of the group, he saw Clarisse and Jackson at different ends of the mat preparing for the spar.

Jackson was talking to Nico who looked pretty tired himself for some reason. Clarisse was ignoring some of her sibling as they tried to give her advise. Yeah, right, like they could help her. Clarisse is the best empty hand fighter in camp.

Clark saw that Annabeth and Thalia were both here, so he approached. As he got closer he noticed that they were talking to the lieutenant of the Hunters, Zoë Nightshade.

"…about this fight?" Clark did not hear Annabeth's full question.

"We need something to distract us from the crisis. It was either this, go over our plans for Capture the flag for the tenth time, or just sit around and worry. This was the best option. Besides, this will be a good lesson for the newer Hunters." Zoë answered.

"Why?" Clark entered the conversation.

They all turned to him. Annabeth smiled at him. Thalia smirked at him. Zoë sneered at him.

Zoë answered him like he was a stupid, misbehaving child. "They need to see that the prey should never attack the predator when it is content and calm."

* * *

><p>Clarisse La Rue was now facing off against the new water spout in camp. She challenged him to show him and everyone that the Aires cabin was the best.<p>

She was no fool. She could see that he was very skilled. That would make her victory even more sweeter.

While she had no personal grudge against the guy, she took any chance she could get to fight and humiliate a child of the sea god.

She had know Clark for a long time. He attended the camp since he was a small child. She even had a crush on him once back before the whole lightning bolt incident, but that changed after his fight with her dad. Now, she and the rest of the Aires cabin either hated Clark or at least feigned hatred at Clark.

Jackson was related to Wayne, thus he received the same hatred. She knew it was not fair, but it couldn't be helped.

The match had started a minute ago and neither of them had yet to attack. They just circled each other.

It was cold out so Clarisse was wearing thick clothing. Percy however was not.

He had taken off both his jacket and boots. Now he was just in a black sleeveless shirt and loose jeans. The cold did not seem to bother him at all.

Many of the girls, including the heartbreaker herself Salina, in the crowd were more interested the guy than the fight. If she wasn't fighting right now, Clarisse herself would probably check him out. Not that she would ever admit it.

"I still believe that this fight in unnecessary. We could stop now with no hard feelings." Her opponent spoke.

"Why? You scared?" Clarisse mocked him.

"No, we just have no reason to fight, and personally, I don't enjoy fighting women. It never ends well for me." Percy Jackson said.

"Guess you lose a lot then," Clarisse was trying to anger him. It did not work.

Her entire cabin was cheering her on and booing him. This did nothing to affect Jackson either.

"…" Percy did nothing in retaliation to her words. He was waiting for her to make the first move. Clarisse decided that she waited long enough.

Clarisse's punch would usually be fast and strong enough to knock out a grown man. If it hit of course.

Percy blocked the punch and sidestepped out of the way. Clarisse did not stop there though. She started an assault of strikes and kicks that usually beat down most of her opponents.

Not Percy though.

There was no wasted energy in Percy's movements as he dodged and blocked. When Clarisse went in close to grapple with Percy, he expertly countered her. Clarisse was starting to enjoy this fight.

"You are incredibly skilled for your age. You are strong and fast. Your technique is excellent. All of your movements have a purpose and openings are few." Percy complimented. "I'm impressed. I do believe in terms of raw power, you are slightly stronger. Lord Aires truly blessed you."

Clarisse did not answer. Talking right now would waste energy. Which was weird considering that Jackson was completely fine with talking and fighting.

"You know that the best defense is to defeat your opponent before he can even attack. Good…Very good."

Clarisse would have been frustrated if he was not constantly complimenting her and if this was not one of the best fights she was ever in.

"Well, while this has been informative and entertaining, lunch is drawing near and this fight needs to end." Then he _moved._

Clarisse had overextended her punch by a fraction of a inch. This was enough for Percy, though.

He grabbed her arm and arm barred her to the ground. From there, he twisted her arm at an awkward angle, swung his legs around so he was sitting on her back, and used his knee for leverage to lock her arm.

The pain was incredible. His calloused hands gripped her arm like a cobra. His knee was digging into a nerve in her arm. Her shoulder felt like it was being ripped out of its socket.

"I can do this all day, it would be easier for you to give up." Percy suggested.

Clarisse hated the idea of giving up. She tried to think of a way to get out of this. Every idea she came up with involve losing her arm though….It wasn't worth it.

Her other hand tapped the mat hard. Percy instantly let go and distanced himself from her.

The crowd was silent. Clarisse not only lost. She lost from one move.

Clarisse should have been angry. That would have been the correct way to feel. But no, she was impressed.

When he took her down. She realized that this man was a warrior, a soldier, and a master in combat.

When he attacked, she sensed centuries of experience in the art of war. He was far above her in experience and skill.

As she got up, she asked, "How does fighting women end badly for you?"

"It brings too much attention." He looked dead serious when he said this.

She actually laughed at that.

"Are you going to be in capture the flag?" She had to ask.

"…Maybe I will…"

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, that was a tough chapter to write. I tried to keep the characters the same, but I feel some OCC ness.<strong>

**Your reviews are encouraging. So, I decided to adress a few of them.**

**1. The thing about being a writer is that you need to find your own inspirations, if you want I can give a suggestion or two, but using other's ideas can get a little boring.**

**2. yes, Percy's sword is based on Bleach and God of war along with other manga and video games. This story is based on a lot of things...**

**3. There will be no harem. PERIOD. Women will be attracted to Percy, but that is it. I already know who will end up with Percy. You can guess if you want. But that is a long way away.**

**I want to adress some things about my story before you ask. **

**1. Clark Wayne will not be an arrogant little snot. He has faults, but I plan to make him very likeable. His name does come from two of the best superheroes, after all.**

**2. Percy's relationships differ from god to god. He has had problems with almost every god in the past, except for two or three. There are some gods that Percy does not respect or is not neutral to.**

**3. Every one of Percy's abilities and skills will be explained, but later.**

**Thank you for reading.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	12. Fighting Your Instincts

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

The night was cold, but everyone was too focused on the task at hand to notice.

A circumstance where all of the cabins actually agreed to fight together was incredibly rare. In fact, the Aphrodite cabin never played capture the flag, but tonight was an exception.

Each camper wanted to win this game. They wanted to break the Hunters' undefeated streak. To do this, everyone of them was willing to cooperate with each other.

…For a few short hours at least…

Generally each cabin would want to be the leader in the game. This time, however, every cabin knew who should come up with the strategy.

Annabeth Chase. The most intelligent camper in the cabin known for intelligence and strategy.

"… and squad 1, the Ares cabin, will lead the charge because of their offensive abilities." the Ares cabin as a whole seemed to like this plan. "Are there any questions about our attack plan?" Annabeth finished her explanation.

There were no questions.

"Okay, now to defense. This clearing will be where we place the flag. It will be at the rock formation over there." She pointed to it. "Normally I would want to hide it in a less obvious place, but the forest is the hunter's domain, so it is unwise to set up there." Everyone nodded in understanding.

"To get the flag they will have to get up close and personal. This will be good because they are distance fighters. Now, squads 2, 3,6, and 9 will be spread out along the perimeter as shown." Annabeth was gesturing to the map of the camp. Each spot had a huge red number drawn on it. Even the most dyslexic camper could tell where their spot was.

All the squads had been divided earlier. Annabeth divided them carefully. Some people would kill each other before the Hunters even got there.

"The last line of defense will be squad 10. Your job is to keep the flag safe for as long as possible. Hopefully, long enough for the offence to get the Hunter's flag." Annabeth then looked across the group. "Any objections."

Most people were satisfied with this plan. A few, however, were confused.

"…wait, Jackson is in squad 10. Shouldn't he be on the attack force. Remember the manticore and his spar with Clarisse. He could beat down the Hunters' defense pretty easily." Thalia spoke up.

A murmur of agreement spread throughout the campers. Someone that could beat Clarisse like that should be in the front lines.

"Well I-" Annabeth was interrupted by the topic of the current conversation.

"I asked her to put me on defense." Percy's voice sounded out in the clearing.

The entire camp seemed to turn in unison. Each had a look of disbelief on his/her face.

"What! Why would you do that? You're one of the best fighter in camp right now." Clark said. He prided himself in his own skill, but he wasn't proud enough to admit that someone was stronger than he was.

Manny people would be jealous of Percy for his power and skill. Clark wasn't.

While he did have a fear of Percy, he knew that his half-brother's skill and power was hard earned. Clark respected the hard workers in life.

Clark may have been talented in most things, but no one had ever called him lazy. He worked his but off training. It paid off, but he could now see the difference between him and Percy. Percy had the same talents and work ethic as Clark. The only difference was time.

If Clark had the time Percy had, he was sure he could become just as powerful. As long as he continued to work hard that is…

"Think about this, why do the Hunters win every time?" Percy asked.

No one answered, but each camper pondered the old warriors words.

"The reason is because they are _Hunters_. They are experts at tracking and killing their prey. It will only take them a few minutes to track down our flag. Nothing we do can stop that, especially in the forest like this.

"They will find our flag before we find their flag. So, we have to defend the flag until we can use our superior numbers and offensive ability (Percy pointed to the Ares cabin) to take their flag.

"My abilities will help keep the hunters at bay long enough for you to capture their flag. If I did go on the offence, the Hunters would get the flag before I got the chance to use my abilities. My position on the defense is the most beneficial."

All the campers seemed to understand this. The logic seemed sound. Not to mention, they really wanted to win this…

Annabeth took control again and said, "Are there any concerns."

Silence was her answer.

"Okay, lets spread out and get ready for the signal." Annabeth finished.

* * *

><p>Beckendorf did not usually start conversations. This was especially true during guard duty.<p>

But this situation was completely unusual, so he made an exception.

"…What other reason did you have to avoid being on the offensive team?" Even though he was almost always quite, Beckendorf was a very observant person. He noticed things that almost everyone else would miss. One such thing was the way Jackson's eyes and lips twitched when he looked at Annabeth. Almost as if it was painful to look at her.

Percy gave the son of Hephaestus a side glance. If he was surprised, he didn't show it.

"It is a long story." Percy answered.

"We still have a few minutes until Chiron gives everyone the signal to start." Beckendorf countered Percy's remark.

"Touché, kid, touché." Percy looked around to the other guards. Some were in their own conversations. Others were mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming battle. No one would hear them.

Both participants in the conversation had an emotionless expression placed on his face as Percy started his story. "The short version is still pretty complicated, but I will try not to bore you with details.

"In the past, I had a daughter. At that time, she was my whole world. There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. I loved her in a pure way that only a parent can love.

"But, there was a problem. That girl was my daughter in everything but blood. I found her after her father died. Originally, I planned to leave her at an orphanage, but I couldn't condemn her to a life as a demigod orphan. That would be cruel.

"So I decided to raise her myself. Let her grow up, train her, and move on. A simple plan, really. But that did not work out as planned obviously.

"Her mother was not happy that I took her daughter under my wing, but there was not much she could do about it. We were at odds about many things concerning **my **daughter. (Beckendorf noticed the emphasis on the my.) Many times she demanded that I get away form the girl, but I always refused.

"Part of me wishes that I didn't. You see, I can never age. Thus as my daughter grew older, I stayed the same. She grew up, like all children do, and I had to let her go.

"But the Fates have never been kind to me. A few years later, I had to burry my daughter." Percy suddenly stopped. His neutral expression broke for a second, before it came back. Beckendorf saw the grief in his eyes in that split second.

"That day the mother…Athena… came and told me never to go near one of her children again. I respected that request, until Athena changed her mind a few days ago…" Beckendorf inferred what Percy implied.

"I do not wish to fight side by side with Annabeth Chase, because she looks so much like my daughter. She looks so much like Alice…" Then Percy became silent.

Beckendorf let him, but added an, "I'm sorry."

"So am I…"

* * *

><p>Before a battle, there is a small window of peace. The point where the fight is on the horizon, but there is nothing that can be done about it.<p>

The only thing that can be done is wait and think.

Both "teams" were at this point before battle. They were all waiting for Chiron to signal the beginning of the "game" by sounding the horn.

Each individual was going over his/her own battle strategy. They remembered their past battles and were ready to uses the lessons they learned from said lessons in their next conflict.

Many were checking their equipment. They were doing not only for safety, but also for distraction. Letting their thoughts wonder to ifs and buts would not help them in the coming battle.

A few were even praying. These few were looking to divine help to solve their problem.

Yes, this time was a moment of pure stillness and tranquility.

All of them were hating it to.

Demigods could not stay still in normal conditions. It was wired into their brain to move. Their very souls couldn't stand this current situation. It was an instinct that each one of them was having a hard time fighting at the moment.

Clark Wayne felt his blood began to boil. This was what he trained for. To use his skills to bring his opponents to their knees. To use his power to overcome the obstacle before him. To defeat his opponents with the help of his sword Riptide.

Thalia Grace was trembling in excitement. She loved battle. It made her feel so alive. Fighting was her way of letting go and being herself. She would gladly fight until the end.

Annabeth Chase's mind was racing at a mile per second. The plan she came up with was not perfect, but it was the best she could do. She was never great in combat herself, but she still felt the pull of battle. It was in her very DNA.

Nico di Angelo felt his nerves and his fatigue fight against him. The training today was harsh and he was sore, but he was ready. Because he was the new kid, he was placed in the least important position. He was okay with that. He knew that he had to prove his own worth and this was his chance to do it.

Bianca di Angelo was ready for her first fight. Her new family was completely behind her, so she was not that nervous. She just hoped that she would not have to fight Nico…

Zoë Nightshade could not bring herself to truly care about this match. Her goddess was in trouble and she was stuck here playing a game. She wanted to quit and continue to urge Chiron to let the Hunters go on a search for Artemis. But that was not the way of the Hunters. In the name of Artemis, they would fight this battle and win!

And just when each person was about to lose his/her mind, the horn sounded.

Let the chaos begin.

* * *

><p>Zoë and the Hunters found the flag with ease. The campers left a complete trail for them to follow. They really needed to learn how to cover their tracks.<p>

No finding the location of the flag was easy. The difficult part would be getting it.

Only five demigods were in the field. They outnumbered the campers, for sure, but they had Percy Jackson in that field.

That would be a big problem itself, but the snow on the ground mad it worse. It gave Jackson the field advantage.

When Zoë first heard that Jackson was playing, she hoped he would be on the offense. He may be powerful, but they could still ambush him. Not even he could stop several hunters attacking from the trees.

'He probably asked to be on defense,' Zoë thought.

This made things troublesome. They would have to fight out in the open where Jackson was strongest. Some Hunters could support from a distance, but…

Zoë looked at the coat and boots Jackson was wearing. Many would think that Jackson was not wearing armor, but she knew better. She had experience in seeing through the Mist.

Long distant Arrows would not work. They would loose power and speed before they hit him. Not to mention that the snow would either stop them or slow the arrows down like the thorns of the manticore.

'We are running out of time…' Zoë realized. The campers would find their flag soon. It would be a time matter soon.

The only thing to do was get Jackson away from the flag, retrieve the flag, then retreat. It could work, but only if they were fast.

'Jackson will hold back,' Zoë thought. 'He will not kill over a game, that and his pathetic chivalry may be the keys to our victory.'

The lieutenant of the Hunters gave the signal to attack.

* * *

><p>He knew they were there. He felt them approach them a while ago. They were planning what to do next.<p>

Normally, Percy would not use his Aura Sense when guarding, but this was just a game. He made an exception, just this once.

Long ago, before science was anywhere near advanced, Percy noticed how much water was in the air. The gaseous water was everywhere. It was amazing to the man.

He spent years, decades even, learning how to use it. And that led to what Percy called Aura Sense.

Percy used the water in the air to expand upon his ability to sense things in water. As long as there was enough water in the air, Percy could spread out his sense to feel what was touching the air.

He used it the other day to find the young demigods. It was incredibly useful, but it held many risks, vulnerabilities, and downfalls.

While using his extended senses, Percy cannot move. He needed to completely concentrate on spreading out his senses. Moving would break that concentration. Thus he could not defend himself.

Besides that, he had to close his eyes and tune out the noise around him. His body was completely defenseless.

He also needed water in the air to use this ability. If the air was too dry, he would be as blind as a mute bat. Luckily, the air was moist today.

The worst part, however, was the transition process. It took him five seconds to change from one state of mind to the other. If he was not careful, he could literally be stabbed in the back and not be able to do anything about it.

The final drawback was the energy it used. He could easily drain himself if he was not careful.

So, he decided to not press his luck and stopped his Aura Sense while his energy level was at 87%.

After changing back into his normal senses, Percy opened his eyes and said to the other, "Prepare yourselves. There are eleven Hunters in the woods around us."

Just as he said that, Arrows came from multiple directions.

Percy used the snow to stop the ones coming to him and the two warriors near him, but he could not save the others. That would drain him too much.

His energy level was at 80% now. He would have to be careful not to drain himself too much.

* * *

><p>As soon as they found the flag, the campers initiated their attack. Usually they would try to be sneaky, but that would not work against the Hunters. Those girls would find them in a second.<p>

So, with a large battle cry, the campers charged to the flag. Which of course, led to the chaotic battle that ensued.

Arrows were flying. Swords were slashing. Shields were blocking. It was combat at it's finest.

Everyone had a large grin on his face. This was what they lived for. The thrill of battle as you struggled to survive and win.

Well, that was how Thalia and Clark felt at least.

While they had only known each other for a short while, their teamwork was exceptional. They fought together like they had done it for years. It was weird considering their fathers' terrible relationship.

They were having trouble getting close to the flag though. The Hunters were long range fighters. Their bows and arrows were their primary weapons. Thus the hard part was getting close enough to a Hunter to actually attack.

Not to say they were bad at close combat. Artemis made sure that her Hunters were well prepared to fight under any circumstance.

Thus the battle would be long and time consuming. It would take a lot of time to get to, drive back, and take the flag from the Hunters.

Time was against them in this match. Zoë might have gotten the flag already. The Campers had to get the flag quickly or the game was forfeit.

But that was the whole purpose of spreading out the defense like Annabeth did.

The Hunters would find the flag no matter what. Most likely, they would move quietly too.

If all of the defenders were in the field, the Hunters would just push past the campers, get the flag and quickly retreat.

To stop that, Annabeth spread out the defense so that when the Hunters did sneak by and eventually attack, they would be trapped between the squads of demigods.

If it worked, the Hunters might be trapped. That would not only by time, it might also stop them all together.

That is, if Percy did not stop them first.

* * *

><p>This was not the type of battle that Percy was used to.<p>

He was used to blood shed. His battles were ones that ended lives. In a real battle, it was killed or be killed.

Thus this little game left him at a distinct disadvantage. Percy's fighting style was to take out the enemy quickly and efficiently. He made sure that his enemies would not get up a second time.

But this was not what he was doing right now. At this moment, Percy had to avoid killing and permanently maiming his opponents at all costs. If he did kill them, Lady Artemis would surely be angry with him.

…Which was a bad thing…

So, as his opponents shot deadly arrows and slashed sharp blades at him, all he could do was defend and try keep himself from killing them. He had to fight his own battle instincts and experience.

Yeah, it sucked. Luckily his skills and armor kept him from injury so far.

Many Campers asked him earlier if he was going to wear any armor. His answer was that he already was wearing some. This got him questioning looks, but they left him alone afterward.

The Mist allusion over his jacket and boots dissolved after the first wave of arrows. The fur coat he was now wearing deflected all the arrows that wanted to maim him. His greaves protected his lower legs from being pierced and cut. In all, he was well protected.

So, even though he had to hold back, he could afford too.

"Arrgh!" A battle cry from his left caught Percy's attention. He quickly brought up his blade to block the knife strike to his head. But at that same moment, two arrows were being fired at his back.

Normally, Percy would move the girl so that the arrows would hit her, but he could not do that. So, he let the arrow bounce off his coat.

The girl moved to a second diagonal strike, but before she could do that Percy moved. One of his hands left his sword to grab the wrist of the hand holding the knife. His hand dwarfed the hand of the girl who looked to be about ten.

With a twist of his wrist, the girl was disarmed. At this point, Percy would usually slit his opponent's throat. But he fought off the urge and head butted the girl instead. This hard blow to the temple effectively knocked the girl out.

Percy's pride hated the fact that he just hit a little girl. Only scum would strike a child like that, but that girl was probably thirty years old mentally and was trying to impale him with a knife. He considered it an exception.

Percy was pulled out of his musings when a Hunter got to close to the flag. He stopped her by blasting her with snow.

His energy level was now down to 60%.

'Damn, controlling snow takes a lot out of me.' Percy thought.

This had happened two times already. One of the Hunters neared the flag. Percy kept them away. The girl attacked him. He held back and almost got hurt.

Ungh…..

He hated fighting women. If he fought will all he had, he got yelled at. If he held back, he was mocked. He never truly won when fighting a woman, and it brought all kinds of negative attention.

It happened earlier. The guys from cabins other than Ares cabin asked him how could he go all out on Clarisse like that. Idiots.

The girl he stopped earlier was now attacking him. He dodged her strikes in an attempt to conserve energy. He had many opportunities to cut the girl's wrists and let her bleed dry.

The Hunter was getting angry. Her twelve year old face was in a snarl. In frustration, the Hunter lunged at him. He just moved to his right by circling his stance.

Her torso was completely open. His first thought was to stab her through her stomach. He really had to fight to stop himself.

His hesitation cost him. An arrow aimed at his head nearly got him. Percy barely move his head enough to avoid permanent damage. Instead, he got a long deep cut across his right cheek.

A greave covered roundhouse kick to his current opponent's stomach cause the girl to collapse. She wouldn't be a problem anymore.

The chain around his right arm tightened significantly. Blood Seeker was getting frustrated. It wanted feel blood.

'Be silent blade, this is not the time to throw a temper tantrum.' Percy thought.

Blood Seeker was not a blade to use in battle simulations. It was made for the sole purpose of cutting down enemies. If it did not feed soon, Percy might not be able to keep control over it.

Luckily, a lot of blood was coming out of the cut in his cheek right now.

Using the dull of the blade, Percy wiped the blood running down his cheek as he turned to face his next opponent. The chain loosened a little.

That was good. He would need to have his arm free if he wanted to defeat his next opponent.

"_Greetings Zoë Nightshade._" Percy greeted the Hunter in Italian.

* * *

><p>Their plan had worked in the beginning. They had effectively took out a two squads around the perimeter stealth fully (without killing them, of course). That left a huge gap for them to retreat to.<p>

Zoë and the Hunters then began their attack on the main defense squad. The first wave of arrows was blocked and dodged, but it did spread out the campers.

Two of the Campers were easily defeated by the Hunters' shear numbers. The other two regular campers were kept busy by some of the Hunters. That left Percy.

He was definitely holding back. His hesitation and use of melee attacks and minor snow blasts were a sign of that. But he shill had taken down three Hunters. The first one was finished by an uppercut to her chin. The second one was knocked out by a head but. And when the final one began to fight Percy, Zoë had enough. She could not let this continue.

The other squads had arrived earlier. They were now even number wise. But that would not be so if Percy continued.

So Zoë did the first thing that came to mind. She fired an arrow right at the man's head. It was done in hope that he would not finish the girl off.

The arrow did manage to hurt Percy, but it did not save the girl. After the young Hunter's painful defeat, Jackson turned his attention to the Hunter lieutenant.

"_Greetings Zoë Nightshade,_" Jackson greeted her in Italian.

"_Jackson! I can no longer allow thee to hurt my sisters!_" Zoë yelled.

"_Loyalty to your comrades. That is very commendable, maybe a little foolish in this situation, but commendable none the less." _Jackson raised his blade. His dried blood now covered the sword. If Zoë did not know of the blade's history, she would have been surprised by Percy using his sword to wiped the blood away.

'Blood Seeker indeed,' Zoë thought. "_Silence! This may be just a game, but I will not allow my sisters to be hurt by you anymore, Stupid Man!"_

"_Fair enough, Miss Nightshade. I accept your challenge." _Jackson then began to run to his opponent.

Zoë tried to stop him from getting close by firing arrows at him. Jackson's blade and armor stopped the arrows, however.

He was now 10 meters away and was closing in more and more with each passing second.

This was bad. Jackson beat her in the field of close combat (she would rather rip out her tongue than say it out loud, though). He was faster and stronger than her. Her trying to beat him in close combat was like his trying to beat her in marksmanship. It would not happen.

The only way she could win was with a plan. She needed a strategy to beat him. The only thing she could think of , though, was keeping him at a distance.

That would be difficult, though. She would have to be cunning.

So, she did the first thing that came to her mind. She threw smoke bombs on the ground.

* * *

><p>The smoke was a good plan. Keep your opponent blind to save yourself. Of course, at this moment she was just as blind as he was.<p>

But her plan was probably to distance herself from him and use her god blessed accuracy to take him down by targeting the areas his armor did not protect him. If she got out of the smoke before he did, she would hit him with arrows faster than you say, "Look out for the arrow…."

So he threw himself out of the smoke.

The lung did not look graceful at all, but after he landed, Percy made sure to carefully roll in to a crouch. It would be unbecoming to accidentally cut himself with his own blade.

As soon as he could, Percy started to run. A moving target was harder to hit, after all.

The arrows soon came at him from his left side. They were aimed at his head and his upper legs… yeah, you know what I mean…

Percy blocked all the arrows and turned to Zoë. It was then he noticed her position. She was in-between him and the flag.

'Damn, I was careless,' Percy grimaced. He was so focused on the battle he allowed his true purpose slipped his mind.

Zoë's real plan was to get him away from the flag, retrieve the flag, and retreat into the forest. If that happened, there was nothing Percy could do to stop her. So, his only chance was to stop her before she got to the tree line.

And to do that, he would have to use the snow. Which would be difficult considering he lost a lot of stamina from his previous battles and from bleeding.

His energy level was at 47%.

Using his left hand, Percy guided the snow. This would allow him to both conserve energy and focus enough on his legs to run after the Hunter

The first blast of snow completely missed the running Hunter (Hey, controlling snow is hard!) The second blast was dodged ('She is one of the only semi-mortal people who beat me experience wise…' Percy thought ). The third blast barely hit Zoë Nightshade, but it was enough to slow her down.

His energy level was at 39%. If he used the snow anymore, he would be seriously hurting later.

The old warrior was on her in an instant. His blade struck down to the girl. She used a knife to divert the strike as she side stepped the attack. Her moments were the embodiment of grace, but grace did not matter when he moved his blade to do a side strike at her. She blocked it, of course, but the force of his attack flung the girl backward.

As Zoë was flying through the air, Percy realized just how small the Hunter was in comparison to him. She was probably a foot shorter than him, and weighed half as much as Percy did. He was so into the battle, he let it slip his mind.

…Oh, well…

Zoë rolled out of her fall and came back up into a defensive stance. She looked terrible, though.

Her braids had come undone and now her log hair hung free. The hit and fall seemed to knock the breath out of her. And, although she hid it well, her left arm was probably hurt.

Looking at her, Percy realized he had already won the fight. Another confrontation would seriously injure Zoë, and most likely exhaust Percy. That would not stop Zoë, though. She would fight to the end.

The Death Walker knew what he needed to do to stop this from getting out of hand. So, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a .45 caliber handgun.

* * *

><p><em>She looked shocked as I pointed the gun at her. Miss Nightshade most likely didn't think I would bring a gun.<em>

_Puff… You get in as many gun fights as I have, you get in to habit of always having a gun near you._

"_You dare bring that infernal thing into this game! Did you plan to kill my sisters, Stupid Man?!" She seemed angry. I wonder why…_

"_No, I merely carry it out of habit, Zoë Nightshade." My face showed how I felt about this situation. Nothing._

"_I can't believe I expected a man to actually fight me fairly." Zoë growled._

"_Fair? You think me using a gun is unfair? It is merely a long range weapon, just like your bow and arrow. Except with only a little more kick to it." She glared at me._

"_Do not compare that thing to my bow. My weapon is one of skill and pride. That thing has no pride." Zoë had calmed herself. She seemed to be thinking about something._

"_You obviously don't know much about guns, then." She did not realize how much attention a gun needed. _

_Zoë looked at me and the gun. She gave me a challenging look_

"_That thing's only purpose is to kill. I know for a fact, thee will not kill me. So why should I believe that thee will use that thing?" Damn her cunning._

"_I do not need to kill you. A shot to the knee will stop you. You might not walk for a bit, but you would be alive." She glared at me._

_The others in the clearing were oblivious to us. They were too busy with their own fights to be concerned with us._

_We stood there for a while. She glared at me. I stared blankly at her._

_Despite everything, Zoë did not move. She had lost and she knew it._

_Then we heard the cheers. The campers were returning with the Hunter's flag._

_I gave her a fake smile._

"_It seems as though we have won." She gave him a look of murder._

_It seems that now would be good time to reveal my secret to her, "You never plaid poker have you?" Blank stare. "I love the game. Want to know why?" No answer, just an evil look._

_With expert technique and experience, I flipped open the gun and held it upside down._

"_What?" Shock covered her face. No bullets fell out of the gun. It was empty._

"_If you have a good enough bluff and poker face, you can still win big. Even if you don't have a good hand."_

_What? I never said the gun was loaded did I?_

* * *

><p>The entire camp was celebrating. For the first time, ever, the Campers had beaten the Hunters. Everyone had huge smiles as they congratulated each other.<p>

Well, except for the Hunters and Mr. D… but they were all asses, so Clark didn't care.

After everyone was healed, both the Hunters and the Campers met up in a clearing in the Camp.

The Hunters were not in a good mood. Especially Zoë Nightshade. She looked ready to explode.

"Congratulations, everyone. You did a fantastic job!" Chiron had not looked so happy in a long time.

Every Camper cheered. This day would go down in history, and thus it was a time of celebration.

'It was nice to be united like this for once. Too bad everything will go back to normal, tomorrow.' Clark realized.

"Why so serious, Clark?" Thalia punched him in the arm. Man, he hated that.

"Yeah, you should be happy, I mean you were the one who got the flag." Annabeth smiled as she hugged him. Man, he loved that.

"Yeah, I just wish we all could be like this every day." They seemed to agree with me. But before they could say anything a voice rang through the clearing that they were in.

"You don't have to be a sore loser, you know!" One of the female Campers yelled to the Hunters.

All of the Hunters looked angry. They all showed a look that Clark usually got from an angry Annabeth.

"Be quiet stupid girl! You do not get to lecture us!" Great another fight.

It was then that the river burst through the dam. The arguing started full force. So many curses were thrown out, that Clark was sure a sailor would blush.

Chiron tried to settle everyone down, but no one was appeased.

It looked like a full out war was about to start when a voice yelled to the crowd.

"**Everyone shut up!**" The all turned their heads in unison.

Percy, who had been sitting by a tree a minute ago, was now standing. He was staring across the clearing. His face and eyes were completely serious.

Once again they all turned their head in unison. And cue the gasps.

The Oracle, the dead mummy like Oracle, was standing before all of them.

It opened it mouth and said,

_Seven shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

_Two shall lost in the land without rain,_

_Fears of the heroes will be shown,_

_One shall be poisoned to the bone,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined will prevail,_

_Loyalties of love shall be tricked,_

_As legendary curse bearers conflict._

Then the Oracle stopped and sat down in the field.

No one said anything. Even Percy looked at a loss for words. But Clark knew one thing, though.

For some reason, Clark was certain that he would have to be the one to move her back to the attic.

…Man, that sucked…

* * *

><p><strong>What is up my people!<strong>

**So much has happened in the time since I updated last. I finally got back to my other story and am proud of my double update for it. ****My plan is to alternate which one I update, but I make no promises.**

**Okay, before you ask here's the deal: ****Blood Seeker is Percy's blade. **

**It is based off of many different blades. It is a cursed blade that attaches to its user...if you can call Percy that.. with a long chain. It has no special abilities. Well, it does change shape to fit the personality of its host, but that's it. And its shape won't change during this story.**

**Basically it is a sword that has it's own will. Thus it is incredibly dangerous to use. If Percy's will is ever weaker than Blood Seeker's will, Blood Seeker will in basic terms turn on Percy.**

**It's full history will be explained in the Origin chapters.**

**Next: Annabeth reminds Percy of his daughter. A Percy x Annabeth can and will not happen. **

**Finally: I can't believe no one commented on something from Percy's and Hades' conversation. I thought everyone would be like "Oh!" but no one said anything. It was near the end of the conversation. Come on people. Come on!**

**Also, as you probably noticed, one part of this chapeter was written like an Origin chapter. It was done to emphasize the importance of the fight. This will happen in regular chapters, when an important fight of Percy's is finished. Whatever the outcome...**

**And finally, the amount of energy Percy has will be incredibly important to the story. I will regulary tell you where his stamina is at during a fight. But, just so you know, 35% is where he starts hurting, 20% is when he becomes slugish, and 10% and lower is almost complete exhaustion.**

**Thank you all for reading and remember to...**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	13. Origins: Blood Seeker

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Percy translates all language to modern English in the Origins chapters.

* * *

><p>Origins: Blood Seeker<p>

_The hardest part of beginning my training was not accepting the offer Chiron made. What was really difficult was saying goodbye to the crew._

_For two years, the Sinking Rock had been my home. I lived and thrived on that ship. It was a safe haven with food, shelter, and companionship. Leaving such a secure life was an act which went against every instinct I had. It had to be done, though, if I wanted to grow strong._

_The crew had mixed feeling about my leaving. I was like a younger brother to most of them. Their feelings were conflicted between pride about my training and sorrow of my leaving. Human emotions are weird._

_My greatest problem was not the crew, though. The Captain was by far the hardest person to say farewell to. _

_He had saved my life. He gave me food and shelter. He treated me with respect and honor. And I was going to repay him by leaving as soon as a new offer came to the table._

_I felt like a complete jackass when I told him about Chiron._

"…_and I decided that being Mentor's student is the wisest path I could take," Using the word 'wise' would help my case. Not much, mind you, but a little bit._

_The Captain did not seem mad. He was a hard person to read, though. To me, he always had the same gruff expression on his face. _

_I expected him to get red in the face from anger, though. There was a reason why ships like this were rare at that time. Sailing was a very dangerous task._

_Back then, there were no compasses or other navigational tools. The only thing sailors had other than the forces of nature were skills, grit, and a hell of a lot of luck. That was my presence on the ship was so helpful._

_My being on the ship brought Poseidon's blessing to the Sinking Rock. (Bet that sounds really weird.) Without me, the crew would have more difficulty sailing. Thus, no one was exactly happy about my leaving._

"…_So you're leaving us then?…" The man's dark eyes pierced into mine. My throat suddenly got dry._

"_Yes, sir," I was tense and nervous. Silently, I prayed to any god that was willing to listen to me._

"_Just like that, huh? I help you in your time of need. I give you food and water. I give you a new chance at life, and you leave as if none of these things happened." He stood up from his chair and walked to the window of the captain's cabin._

"_I'm sorr-" I was cut off._

"_I don't want your apologies! Ungrateful child! Go! Just go! Walk the path the Fates have given you!" His voice broke at this point. I could not tell because his back was turned to me, but he seemed to be crying._

_I was stunned. The gruff, hard-ass Captain was crying. Crying because of me…_

"_Percy, this is my last order to you as your captain! So listen well!" The next word would be burned into my mind for the rest of eternity._

"_When you first woke up after I saved you, you cried. You cried without shame for your fallen comrades. This is something not many men are willing to do, for they think that tears are a sign of weakness. They are wrong!_

"_The tears of men only fall in times of great joy or great grief! Never be ashamed of them! Others will say that crying is wrong, but don't listen to them! If you need to cry, then cry, because there is no shame in showing your grief. Especially if you just lost a family member."_

_Tears began to fall from my cheeks. Did he think of me as a member of his family. Of course he did. The crew of the Sinking Rock was his family…my family!_

"_So, as you walk off this ship and even after that, don't be ashamed of what you do or don't feel! You may think this is weird coming from me, but I have never hid what I felt!" He turned to face me. His tears ran down his dark long beard. "Go, Percy! Become a strong warrior who is unashamed to let his emotions show!"_

"_Yes, sir!" I turned and began to walk to the door. As I walked toward the door, I said,_

"_Goodbye, Captain!"_

"_Goodbye, Percy, stay safe…"_

* * *

><p><em>After my emotional departure, I immediately met up with Chiron and his other students. There was no Camp Half-Blood, back then. Instead, the group of students traveled with their teacher across the land.<em>

_Unlike other times in history, there was no country that was the world power. Instead, the Roman Catholic Church was the dominate force. This was a little unusual, but the "Dark Ages," as my birth period was later called ,was not usual in any sense._

_Really, I just think that all the future generations are just a bunch of pansies that don't know how good they've got it. All of this is in my humble opinion, of course…_

_So, the demigods traveling with me were all from different lands. They each had different languages, but my time sailing made most languages cram into my young sponge-like mind. So communication was not too difficult. The big problem was the personality conflicts._

_Like the demigods of the current era, we all had different godly parents and upbringings. Some of their origins were better than others, but most…the majority of them…were no where near happy. But that was beside the point…_

_Basically there was a lot of arguments and conflict in the group. As there is whenever a large group of children and teenagers are forced to spend time together everyday of the week. We had no cabins to run to when there was a fight. Besides, we all were too proud to walk away anyway. Even with Chiron as a peacekeeper, many of us were hurt by these conflicts everyday. _

_In total, we had to worry about monsters, natural disasters, diseases, and each other. It was such a happy time!_

_All that mattered little to me, though. While I remember all their faces and names, those children were not the reason I joined Chiron. I joined Chiron and his group to train. And train I did._

_I immediately went to work. While my physical conditioning was at the limit for a child, there were many skills I lacked. Swordplay, archery, knives training, and footwork were especially focused on. Of course, my accuracy sucked at the beginning. It would take me almost a century to get up to a master's skill level…_

_After a while, I decided to focus on swordplay. I had a natural talent with the sword and liked fighting up close and personal. With Chiron's guidance, I flourished. My ability with a sword grew at an incredibly fast rate._

_Unfortunately, I could not find a sword that fit me. None of them felt right. I could always find a problem with a blade. It was too heavy, light, long, short, unbalanced, cumbersome, etc…_

_You might think that I was picky, but come on! I was trusting my life with a sword. It had to be perfect, because if it failed, then I died. Would you risk your life by using a defective gun?…Huh?…Huh?…I didn't think so._

_The sword that worked best for me was Riptide. It had a great weight. The balance worked for me. But…there was just a weird feeling I couldn't shake while using it. Something told me that I wasn't supposed to be using it. Riptide did not belong to me…_

_But it was the best I had, so I sucked up my bad feeling and just used the stupid sword._

_As time went by, I did grow stronger. Through practice and battle, I grew both physically and mentally. But like always there were times that I stared death in the face. Many times I was given new scars that came a little to close to _

_Years passed by quickly. Demigods came and went. Some just went of on their own to make their own story. Most just died a painful death. It was sad, but we had very little time to mourn. We were to busy staying alive and stuff like that…_

_When I turned fourteen, however, someone of importance joined our little group. Well, she was important to me at least. To everyone else, to history, she was merely a speck of sand in a desert the size of a continent._

_Her name was Sofia, daughter of Hermes. She had short black hair and brown eyes. If I remember correctly, she was about two years younger than me. She was rather cute… not eye boggling like Aphrodite's daughters, but still she good looking all the same. _

_Before anything, however, there was one characteristic about Sofia that grabbed everyone's attention._

"_Whose this pussy?"… "Anyone ever tell you that you look like a girl?" … "Big sword you got there. Riptide was it? Seems to me your compensating for something."_

_Need I say more?_

_I couldn't stand her at first. She was rude, had a foul mouth, and mocked me constantly. Usually I could ignore most people. I focused on training my swordplay, free running, and water control. She was different, though. She had the incredible talent to be able to get under my skin with merely a few words._

_After some time…okay a lot of time, I grew to tolerate her. I wasn't leaving. The gods know that she wasn't going anywhere. So we made a truce. I help her train and she shuts up for more than five minutes a day._

_Yeah… It may seem like a sucker's deal, but to me it was worth it._

* * *

><p><em>It was when I turned fifteen that my destiny was finally set into motion. As always the group was traveling as best we could. Recently a small group went on quest to liberate a village from a monster posing as a lord and two people were killed during a monster attack. As such there was only a few of us during this time.<em>

_In total there was six of us including Chiron, Sofia, and me. I could give you names and descriptions of the other three, but they are not very significant to this story. I will tell you that one was the son of Athena and the other two were twin children of Apollo (rather coincidental really)._

_The winter solstice had arrived once again, and Chiron decided it would be beneficial for us if we all traveled to Mount Olympus for the occasion. That was rare. Mount Olympus didn't actually have a set location at that time. It moved constantly because of the shifting power. Thus it is was incredibly difficult to visit the home of the Olympians._

_We were all in awe of how different Olympus was compared to the rest of the world. It was full of beautiful architecture and statues. People…gods and nymphs, if you want to be politically correct… were all smiling and laughing. It was paradise to us. Granted it was now where close to being as beautiful as it is today, but compared to a dark and bleak world, Olympus was a heaven._

_The winter solstice meeting was rather uneventful, really. Gods yelled and argued with each other. As always, the Big Three were at each other each other's throats. There was nearly a war. The earth almost opened. The ocean almost consumed everything. Twisters almost destroyed humanity. Basically, same old same old._

_I did see my father, but we merely spoke a few polite words to each other. We never had a good relationship, but surprisingly that time was when we were closest. In fact, I probably spoke more words to him in that time than I have in centuries._

"_Hello, Perseus. I am glad to see that you are in good health." Poseidon smiled at me._

"_Greetings, Father. How is your kingdom doing?" I said respectfully. Respect had been drilled into me by Chiron for years. It was a habit only ever broke when I lost my temper. Even if I despised the person I was talking to with my entire soul._

"_Fine, fine. Nothing major happened this year. I do wish that those mortals would realize that they need to be more prepared when they head out to sea." My father chuckled._

"_Many lack the time needed for proper preparation." I commented._

"_Yes, time is always an issue. Especially these days." Poseidon rubbed his beard._

"_If I may ask, Father. How is my old crew doing?" I was extremely curious and worried. They no longer had a son of the sea for good fortune._

"_As well as you can expect. I have given them better conditions than most, but… I cannot protect them from everything. They were raided a few years ago and…your old Captain died. I'm sorry, Perseus." Poseidon bowed his head._

"…_.thank you for telling me, Father." I said this quietly. A tear ran down my face. I was completely unashamed of it. The Captains final words to me rang in my ears. There is no shame in mourning._

_As I wiped my eyes, my father spoke, "I know that your life has been very difficult, but you should know-"_

"_Hey, Percy!" Sofia yelled at me. Over the year she was with us, her manners improved a lot, but she still had some loud and rude habits. But hey, that was her._

"_Chiron said…Oh! Lord Poseidon! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" Sofia bowed. "May I please borrow Percy. I have to tell him something." _

"_Yes…yes, I should get going. Goodbye, Perseus, stay safe." My father turned and began to walk away. I never found out what he wanted to say._

"_What is it, Sofia?" I asked. _

"_Chiron just wanted me to tell you that we will be leaving in about an hour. I said that we should just leave you here, but he said no." Sofia grinned. _

"_Hmm, I would have caught up in five minutes anyway. At the rate you go, I'd be able to walk and make it too." I had learned how to make comebacks because of Sofia, at least._

"_Oh, hardy har har." Sofia rolled her eyes._

"_Tell him I will be ready when it is time to go." I turned and began to walk away._

"_Who appointed me the messenger?!" Sofia yelled after me._

"_It happens when you never stop talking!" I shouted back._

"…_I liked him better when he just got mad…" She mumbled just loud enough for me to hear._

* * *

><p><em>I did not have anything to do while I was waiting for everyone else, so I decided to explore Olympus. It was truly beautiful. I was never an art lover really. But even I had to admire Mount Olympus.<em>

_As I walked, I noticed something strange. A young girl was sitting in front of the flames of Olympus. She was not from our group and no other demigods were on Olympus at the moment. She had to be a god. Yet, she was dressed in rags. Gods liked to dress themselves in the finest, richest clothes of an era. Well…at least during the solstices and other similar meetings. And that doubled especially for the goddesses._

_If my curiosity wasn't peaked by then it would be when I began to approach. The goddess was sitting on the floor! I had never seen an immortal sit on anything but the most luxurious thrones and seats in the world._

"_Excuse me, miss goddess?" She turned and looked surprised to see me. "Forgive me for asking, but…why are you sitting by the Flames dressed like a beggar?"_

"…_No stranger has stopped to talk with me for decades. It is nice…Forgive me, young hero, I am Hestia and the reason I am dressed like this is because of the state of the world right now." Hestia gestured for me to sit down._

_I took a seat across from her and said, "I should be the one asking forgiveness. I never meant to ask such an insensitive question to a former Olympian."_

"_You have manners too. Chiron has trained you well." She smiled._

"_Yes, Mentor drilled the manners in my head. Before I met him, though…not so much." It was true. You hang around thieves and sailors all your like and you tend to have a problem with manners._

_Hestia chuckled, "That is the point of being a child, though. A child learns because they don't know the world and will always seek answers about it. It is up to the older generations to make sure they have a proper understanding of the world."_

"_Very true." I leaned forward and folded my hands in front of me. "You said that you are dress in rags because that is how the world is. What do you mean?"_

"…_It is very sad when the world's greatest power is so weak. There is always poverty, but now it seems that all the good people in the world are hurting. They suffer for their goodness, and that in turn makes the world suffer_

"_The other gods refuse to admit it, but they are very weak right now. They gain their power through the mortals, but the mortals are at a standstill. There is no new knowledge, advancement, or improvement. People are now ignorant because their rulers want them to be ignorant. It is very sad._

"_But the thing suffering the most is the home. There are houses and shelters, yes. But no homes. No place to go to relax, laugh, and be loved. Everyone is so sad and serious…and I feel their pain. So, how can I not wear these rags? My very element is the home. Without it I am merely a poor beggar. Luckily, people have not yet completely forgotten, otherwise I would not be here talking to you right now." Hestia frowned._

"…_I suppose that I'm so used to this world that I haven't seen It's pain… I am deeply sorry." I bowed my head to her._

"_Do not apologize, young hero. It is not your fault. You are merely anther victim of the time…I never asked, what is your name young hero?" Hestia asked._

"_You are a god. Do you not already know?" Why did she have to ask me?_

"_As I said, I am very weak right now. I cannot use my powers to learn your name. So, I am force to ask." That made sense…_

"_My name is Perseus, son of Poseidon." I said simply._

"_Perseus…that was one of Zeus's boys…" Hestia rubbed her chin._

"_My mother said that she wanted me to have the name of a hero who had a happy ending." I recalled my mother's old words._

"_It is good to see a mother caring for her child…" Hestia went back to looking at the flame._

"_Do you sit on the floor for the same reason you are dressed like that?" I had to ask. Clothes were one thing, but for a goddess to sit on the floor…it was so unusual._

"_The other gods think so highly of themselves. They are so arrogant in their ways. They would never lower themselves to sitting on the floor. It is rather disappointing to me. I think that if you want to talk with someone, you should sit at the same level as them. The ground is the most humble place to sit. If someone is not humble enough to sit at this level to talk to me, why should I talk to them?" Hestia explained._

_Neither of us knew it back then, but her words would shape a large portion of my life. To always talk to people in equal terms. It was a rule I would live by for a long time. It was a test I would use to judge both friends and enemies._

"_So if I had not sat down?" I asked._

"_I would not have talked to you. It would not have mattered how polite you were." Hestia had no remorse over this sentence._

"_I imagine that you don't have many visits from other gods." I stated._

_She laughed, "You would imagine correctly."_

_After that we both sat in silence. We both watched as the flames danced. Even after the fire at the Hidden Cave, I loved a good controlled fire. It gave me warmth and remembrance of the better times in my life._

"…_.hear…come…me…"__ A voice whispered in my ear._

"_What?" I looked up at Hestia. "Did you say something?"_

"_No." Hestia gave me a strange look._

"_I could have sworn I heard something…" I mumbled._

"_I…hear…come…me…__" The voice whispered again._

"…_Did you not hear that?" I questioned._

"_Hear what?" She looked confused._

"_The voice." I stood up._

"_Voice?" She asked as I began to walk away._

"_I'm sorry, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Lady Hestia." I did not wait for her response._

_I listened to the voice. To many, it would sound strange. Why listen to a faint whisper in the wind? Why even care?_

_I am unable to answer those questions. There was no good reason to do what I did, but I still did it. I followed the whispers. I was compelled to do it. It was something I had to do._

_As I moved, the whispers got louder and more clear. They were telling that is was on the mountain. It was tired of waiting. The time had finally arrived for it to be used again_

"_I am here on the mountain. Come find me. It is time"__ The voice almost sounded like a shout now._

_The place I arrived was a small temple. It had several pillars surrounding it. The architecture looked old. Not crumbling about to collapse old. It was as though the place was not touched since Olympus was built._

_Most people would not be able to even get close to the structure. The gods had place a heavy shield of Mist over the structure. There were a few number of people that could even see it, let alone come close to it. My affinity with the Mist was the only reason I didn't become a gibbering mess inside that temple._

_When I entered the temple, I was surprised. I had expected a tomb or some treasure, but I was wrong. The only thing in the room was a small pedestal. It was about 2 meters by 5 meters. There was not carvings or writings on the pedestal. It was actually more of huge block of stone rather than anything._

_But on the pedestal…stone… was a beautiful broad sword. It almost completely black, but it did had crimson red edges and crimson red cloth rapped around the handle. The most unusual thing about the blade was the long chain that originated from the end of the handle._

_I will tell you now. If you ever find a sword that is pitch black, has a long chain, and is obviously not meant to be touched, do not touch it. Just leave it alone and walk away. I repeat. Leave. It. Alone._

_If someone (anyone really) had ever told me that, then this story would not exist right now. I would have been long since dead. You wouldn't be reading this. In fact, there is a probability that you might not be born. I probably saved at least one of your ancestors from dying at some point._

_Your Welcome._

_I did touch the stupid sword, however, and this story does exist…Damn it…As soon as by hand touched the handle, the sword sprung into life. The chain swung around my arm and held it tightly. The broadsword changed shape from a large blade into a smaller katana blade._

"_Ahh!" I yelled and shouted. I immediately tried to pry the chain off my arm. I tried with all my might to peal the chain off the skin of my arm, but it didn't move. It was stuck._

_Then something worse happened. My arm began to burn terribly. If felt as if the metal was branding itself into my skin. For a full minute, I writhed in pain as the blade marked me._

_When the pain finally ended, the sword was gone. All evidence of it disappeared into thin air. Shakily, I examined my arm. My long sleeves hid most of it, but my hand was shown. _

_In my palm, was an image of a miniature blade. Shakily, I rolled up my sleeves. There on my arm was bark chain like tattoos that went all the way up my arm to my shoulder. The sword wasn't gone, it was connected to my very skin._

* * *

><p><em>The events that followed were very unusual. I told Chiron of the sword and the whispers I heard from it. He then proceeded to tell the council of Olympians of my little adventure and they explained what exactly I had done.<em>

_The blade that attached itself to my arm was 'Blood Seeker.' It was a cursed blade from a time before when even the gods were born. It was a blade forged by the Titans. It was created with one sole purpose, to entertain the Titans by making a mortal continually fight until death. _

_Unlike most weapons, Blood Seeker was not made to aid a warrior in combat. Blood Seeker was made to be a warrior's end. The blade had its own will and personality, but the will of the blade was very simple._

_Fight. Kill. Spill blood._

_If the warrior obeyed the blade, he would be continually drawn into combat. He would fight and fight until he could fight no longer. The only result possible was death._

_If the warrior tried to resist the blade, Blood Seeker would turn on them. The chain would constrict to the point that bones would break and blood vessels would pop. Best case cinario, the warrior would lose his arm. Worst case cinario, the warrior would die._

_After the Titans had fallen, Blood Seeker had been lost. No one knew where it was and what happened to it. The gods would have searched for it, but they had their hands full helping the bleeding world. Blood Seeker was gone for decades, but eventually it was found._

_A young man found it in dark cave, next to a rotting skeleton with its right arm completely destroyed. He picked it up. The blade attached itself to his arm and the cycle was renewed once again._

_For years, Blood Seeker had attached itself to different people. Each was forced to fight harsh battles. In the end, they all suffered terrible deaths. _

_Finally, the gods decided to step in. They found the blade and hid it in Olympus. There was some debate about how to protect the blade, but not many of the Olympians cared enough to set up elabrate traps. Blood Seeker was no threat to them. It could only hurt the person holding it. So, they decided that a veil of concentrated Mist was enough to keep the blade away from others._

_They were wrong. _

_I found the blade. Blood Seeker was now attached to my arm. Everyone of the gods already considered me a dead man. They were already making plans to retrieve the blade when I died._

_I didn't like that. They were already counting me out. How dare they! Did they think I survived all those years just to die because I picked up a stupid sword!_

_Hell no._

_I was not going to die because of this. No weapon, cursed or not, would crush my arm because I refuse to do its will. I was Perseus and I decided that I would show them all. I decided I will live. Cursed weapon and all._

* * *

><p><em>Living with Blood Seeker on my arm was easier said than done. The blade constantly pushed me into conflict. I had more battles in one month than I had in years. Blood Seeker would not tolerate running. So, while the others fled, I stood my ground and fought.<em>

_It didn't matter who the enemy was. All that mattered to my sword was that I cut them down. I fought hell hounds, lizard men, a cyclopes, and even a couple of gryphon's. _

_There were so many close calls, but I always made it out alive. Not by my power only, though. Sofia nearly always stood by me during my fights. She had my back, and I was always thankful for. She had gained my total trust and confidence. And as time went by, it began to grow into something more._

_As time passed, I began to care for Sofia as more than a friend. She was the person closest to me, so it was to be expected. We laughed, cried, joked, and even bled together._

_She may have insulted me a lot, (and I mean __**a lot**__) but she never insulted me because of Blood Seeker. The sword didn't mean anything to her. She stayed by me because of me._

_I asked her about it once, and she said. "You were a moron before the sword. Even without it, you always stood your ground to protect the rest of us. That's just who you are. It is your best and worst quality"_

_As the third month rolled around, I was beginning to have doubts about my survival. The scars on my body doubled since I found Blood Seeker. I came close to dying several times. I only lived through it all because of my will to say alive and Sofia. _

_Soon, however, I was beginning to tire. It was all so exhausting. The battles and stress pushed me to my limits. Eventually I would either lose in battle or have Blood Seeker crush my arm for my defiance._

_All to soon, the day I feared had rolled around. It was a dry season. There was not much water anywhere. In addition, I had a long guard duty the night before. Basically, I was weak, exhausted, and almost defenseless._

_A pack of hell hounds had attacked our group. I, as always, had staid behind to fight. It didn't end well. Granted, I did kill about four of them, but one of the last ones got a good shot int. It swiped its deadly claws down across my chest. Three deep gashes ran down my chest. My blood flowed out of my body like a river._

_As I knelt on the ground, all I could think about was my death. I had not contributed to anything in life really. I was to busy trying to stay alive. There was no way I would be rewarded in Hades for my life. But even then…the Fields of Asphodel didn't sound so bad. It would be quiet and peaceful at least._

"_Hey, stupid dog! Leave him alone." Sofia came running. I wanted to yell at her to go. 'Run away, Sofia!' I tried and failed to shout at her._

_My vision was blurry so I couldn't see. My chest and my arm burned. One because of the injury. The other because of anger. Blood Seeker would not accept my letting someone else fight for me. The chain began to stop the blood flow in my arm._

_Next thing I know, Sofia was on the ground in front of my unconscious. She must have diverted the hounds and came to help me, but she must have tripped and got knocked out by hitting her head on one of the rocks._

_I looked on in horror as the hounds began to charge toward us. I was in no condition to fight them off. So, I did the only thing I could do. I grabbed Sofia and ran. The wounds didn't matter. The blood didn't matter. The hounds didn't matter. Not even Blood Seeker mattered. The only thing that mattered was Sofia and her safety._

_As I ran, my arm felt like it was being torn the shreds. Blood Seeker was now enraged. How dare I run? I was the wielder of the greatest sword in the world!_

_Just as Blood Seeker was about to destroy my arm, I lashed out mentally to it. Just like it could send emotional messages to me, I could send my thoughts to it._

'_Shut up, you stupid sword! Can't you see that Sofia is in trouble! I don't care about you right now so listen to me! I am the master. You are the weapon. You will listen to me!' I mentally screamed at the sword._

_For a moment, Blood Seeker…the tattoo version of it…remained as it was. It seemed shocked. No previous wielder had ever stood up to it like that. Then as quickly as the pain arrived, it was gone. My will had conquered Blood Seeker._

_I had no time to dwell on this however, I was too busy running away from hell hounds while trying to stop my bleeding and keep Sofia safe. Fortunately, Chiron and the others were not too far away._

_Arrows zoomed past me. They hit the hell hounds in their heads. A pile of gold dust emerged behind me as I tumbled to the ground in exhaustion. Even then, though, I made sure to protect Sofia from the fall._

_As I laid there I quickly checked over Sofia. She was covered in blood, but…it was my blood. She would be fine. With a sigh, I quickly lost consciesness._

* * *

><p><em>That was the moment everything turned around. Blood Seeker was no longer that big of problem. It still reminded me that it was there. But as long as I fought every once I a while there were no huge troubles from it. It knew that I was it's master.<em>

_But as one problem was fixed another was found. The gods were now watching me. They had never seen a wielder of Blood Seeker flee and live. It had never been heard of before._

_As time passed, their curiosity changed into fear. For centuries…millennia, really…Blood Seeker had been known as the unconquerable blade. Not for its power, but for its terrible curse. No person who had ever wielded Blood Seeker had lasted more that a couple of months. I not only survived, I conquered the blade._

_This is where the fear came in. If I could control a blade of the Titans, then could I somehow find a way to hurt the gods? And thus we come to where my story really gets interesting._

_The story of how I gained my immortality begins now._

_I bowed before the gods of Olympus. They were all seated on their thrones. Each gave me a stare of discontent and apprehension. "My Lords and Ladies. You requested my presence."_

"_Yes, Perseus, we have a quest that we would like for you to take." Zeus peered down at me. While on his throne, he was at the size a person would expect from a god. HUGE._

_This got me nervous. The gods rarely…never asigned quests on their own. This was already looking bad for me. "If I may ask, what is this task, Lord Zeus?"_

_The gods looked at each other. They all gave each other a knowing look. Okay this was looking very bad._

_Zeus spoke again, "There is a temple in a far away land. It was created in honor of my father, Kronos. It was not created for worship purpose, however. It was created to contain one of my father's greatest treasures, a jewel with time disorting properties. If it falls into the wrong hands, civilization as we know it could be in trouble. This is where you come in. We need you to use your…skills to find this jewel and bring it back here for safe keeping."_

"…_Where is this temple?" I questioned._

_Athena spoke up, "That is unknown even to us. Your only option will be to ask the Oracle for guidance."_

_Okay, final evaluation, this was beginning to look terrible._

_I had heard whispers of this quest before. Rumors and legends said that said that this quest was a death sentence. The gods gave this quest to people who they thought would be trouble to them in the future, but had no reason to kill them outright._

"…_I suppose that I am to go alone for this quest…" I narrowed my eyes. I already knew the answer._

"_Yes, only you will be necessary for this quest. Bringing someone with you will only slow down your movements." Hermes spoke up with a vengence. He obviously didn't want his daughter to be…killed…banished…whatever you call it._

_I looked around. Each god had a different look about them. Angry. Sad. Thoughtful. But only one god's look mattered to me. My father, the god of the sea, the earth shaker himself had only a look of remorse. He knew what this was. He knew what would happen. He felt bad about it, but it obviously mattered very little._

_That was the first moment I hated my father._

_I looked back at Zeus. "Can you at least tell me the temple's name?"_

"_Yes…It is called…'The Fountain of Youth'."_

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the wait, I wanted this chapter to come out just right. <strong>

**So that was Blood Seeker's background. It is a very dangerous sword and the catalyst that started Percy's path to becoming a Legend.**

**I****f you noticed, I explained many of Percy's various personality traits in this story. That will happen a lot in the origin chapters.**

**I finally revealed where Percy's immortality came from. Been a long time coming.**

**Sofia and her relationship with Percy is complicated. She is Percy's first love. But...none of Percy's relationships were normal per say.**

**...There is one more reason for the delay of this update. I have reread my first couple of chapters in this story. They are not near as good as the later ones or the ones in my other story. I was conflicted about..not changing them, but adding to them. They are not up to my new standards. But! I do not think they are bad and they show how much my writing has improved in one year. So, I decided to keep them. In a years time, I'll improve even more and will probably view this chapter in the same way, anyway.**

**Thank you for your patience and reviews. All of you have a Happy New Year and remember to...**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	14. Apology and Summary

To all my loyal readers,

I am deeply sorry for this, but I am officially tapping out. I hate quitting on my first brain child here, but I eventually realized that this is a story that I can't (I hate saying that) finish.

Successfully intertwining the origin and regular chapters has proven to be impossible. I would just write regular chapters, but that wouldn't work for this story. Merely referencing or flashbacking one thousand years of history would be very sloppy.

The main reason that it won't work is that my knowledge of history is not fantastic. I really only know about the history of wars (when, where, and who fought in them). Culture and economy are lost to me. Thus, while I could have Percy give an account of conflicts, commenting on culture of the people would be insulting to the people of said country.

There's also the problem of the continuation of the Heroes of Olympus series. While I'm sure that they are good, I have not kept up with them and I can't really find a way to incorpret them into my story.

In truth, I think that this was too big of a project for a new writer. As my first story, this saga holds a deep place in my heart that can't be replaced, but I took a bigger bite than I could swallow. I've been trying to choke down a watermelon for months now.

But! There is a but here…I will do this for all of you that care about my story. Below this AN is a summary of what I envisioned for the Legend's Curse. While I know some of you might not like that I am unable to write this out, I can't leave you out to dry any longer. So, here it is…

* * *

><p>Origin Chapters:<p>

-After receiving his quest, Percy returns to his group to prepare for his departure. Knowing that he will be leaving, Sofia confronts Percy. She begs him to let her come with him. In the process, they confess their love for each other. Despite this, Percy refuses to take her with him. He knows that this quest is a death sentence and won't allow her to die with him. Angry, Sofia storms away saying that she hates him, will never forgive him, and that will never trust a man again.

"You idiot! I love you, and you'll just leave me? Fine I don't need you! Get away from me and never come near me again!"

-Percy searched for the fountain of youth. The Oracle instructs him to follow the Crusaders and but if he does so, he will face a fate worse than death . Despite not wanting to get involved in a war, Percy decides that if he going to die, he might as well stop as much blood shed as possible. After traveling to the Holy Land, Percy observes the First Crusade. He notes on how pointless and hypocritical the war was.

-Feeling a familiar pull, Percy journeys into the desert. He feels a massive water source and has a gut feeling that it is the Fountain of Youth. After many days of travel, an exhausted Percy arrives at the temple. Unfortunately more problems appear. There are seven trials that Percy must over come. Each one represents one of the Seven Deadly Sins. If he fails a trial, he dies.

-Trials are the following: Greed-resisting unspeakable wealth. Sloth-an oasis that can be described as paradise. Lust-a beautiful succubus throws herself at him. Gluttony-a feast of only the best food in the world. Wrath- a metamorphic beast appears before him and uses his past pain against him. Envy- an image of Triton appears and mocks the less favored son. Pride- Percy must bow to what appears to be a lowly beggar that is plagued with disease.

-Percy if the first person to ever pass all the trials. He finds the fountain. He sees that a beautiful blue stone at the bottom of the fountain. He dives in an felt energized by the water. After retrieving the stone, Percy leaves the temple and heads back to Olympus.

-When he arrives back at Olympus, Percy is greeted by the judgmental gods. Believing that he has abandoned his quest, they are angry that he has returned. They threaten to kill him if he returns again, but are shocked when Percy presents the jewel. In shock and as a precauting, the gods offer Percy a position as an 'adviser' of the gods.

-Returning to his group, Percy is shocked to find out that Sofia has joined the Hunters. Using his new position, he asks Artemis for a meeting with Sofia. During the meeting, Sofia curses him for abandoning her and tells him that she never wants to see him ever again. Broken hearted, Percy accepts her wishes and leaves.

"I…will leave, then. But know that I am sorry for everything to live. I honestly thought that there was no way for me to come back alive."

-Percy learns that the fountain has given him eternal youth and the inability to die. He can still be injured, scared, and can even lose limbs, though. He is basically a soul trapped in a never aging body.

-Percy begins his work as an 'advisor.' Basically, the gods assign his personal tasks that he must fulfill for them. Some gods (Poseidon, Artemis, and Hades) ignore him. Some gods (Hermes, Apollo, Hephaestus) are kind to him. The other Olympians abuse or use him. Examples: throwing parties, cleaning, laboring, fighting for him (Ares), and other similar tasks.

-The gods treatment of him leaves a lasting impression that Percy remember even into the start of the actual story. He remembers each of their treatment and acts accordingly to each of them.

Note 1: this is what Apollo meant as being his wingman. Percy enjoyed it at the time, though. He has no grudge, but points out the immaturity of it.

Note 2: Aphrodite seduces Percy and takes his virginity. This is technically the only time she called on him as an 'advisor', but it has left a bad taste in Percy's mouth.

-Percy fights in the Crusades to get away from the gods. These are his first wars. He doesn't fight to win, though, because he views the Crusaders as being the bad guys.

-After the final Crusade, Percy officially resigns as an 'advisor.' He travels the world while training. He learns swordsman ship from knights, accuracy from archers, and works to advance his water control. Eventually, he travels East where he eventually ends up in feudal China.

-Percy becomes one of the personal guards and trusted advisor for the Emperors. His figures out how to use water to extend his senses and becomes an undefeated swordsman. He continues to live like this until Marco Polo arrives.

-After many years of being Polo's friend, Percy decides to return with his friend to view Polo will believe will be the end of the Dark Ages. Percy is disappointed to find out that not much has changed.

-After traveling through Europe, Percy encounters multiple monsters attacking a town. By now, most monsters are aware of Percy. They all believe that his flesh will be extremely delisous and all desire to eat him. Percy easily destroys the monsters by using his newly found ability to pull water from plants around him. He then hears a loud crying coming from where the monsters were originally gathered. He finds a blond haired, grey eyed baby girl.

-When he tries to drop the baby at an orphanage, Percy sees the abuse the children suffer and can't bring himself to leave the baby there. He decides to raise the girl until she is old enough to join Chiron. He decides to name the baby 'Alice'. During Alice's childhood, Percy grows to love the girl as his own daughter.

-Athena warns Percy to let Alice join Chiron's group. Percy refuses because of his love for his adopted daugher. He insists that he will protect her. Angry, Athena warns Percy that if Alice dies, then the goddess will make Percy pay.

"A parent raises their child. You may have conceived her, but I am her father in everything but blood. If you don't like that, then too bad. You should have thought about that before you let her birth father die."

-Alice grows into a young woman. She falls in love and asks her father for permission to marry the man she loves. Percy reluctantly agrees because he knows that she needs to liver her own life. He gives her away at her wedding, but decides to stay close to protect Alice and her new family secretly.

-A viking raid to the town where Alice and Percy lives causes the city to burn. Because Hephaestus is angry that Percy slept with his wife, he causes the fire to badly burn and scar Percy's left leg. Despite this, Percy saves Alice and her family. Alice is angry at Percy for not letting her live her life without him and moves away. Saddened, Percy lets her leave. A few months later he learns that she died from a monster attack.

-While Percy is visiting Alice's grave, Athena appears. She angrily blames Percy for Alice's death. She demands that Percy never go near her daughters ever again.

-Deeply depressed, Percy joins a pirate crew. He makes sure that they don't kill innocents, but he still steals. During this time, Percy masters shaping water into various forms. As his time as a pirate, Percy takes up smoking, drinking, and having casual sex as a way to numb his pain.

-Hearing that some crazy man wants to sail around the world to India, Percy seeks this man Christopher Columbus out. Columbus as a descendent of the gods, realizes that Percy can help him. The two men manage to gain support from Spain to set out on a voyage.

"You think the world is round? Most would call you a fool. I call you a genius. Take me with you and I will promise that we will make it across the sea."

-Percy realizes that the land they find is not India, but cannot convince Columbus that they discovered a new continent. Percy is fascinated by the "Indain's" way of life. He convinces them to trade with him.

-Returning back from what would be later known as the "New World." Percy finds out that there was once again war between Britain and Spain. He remains neutral, however, and tries to find a way to get to the new world.

-The gods of Olympus ask that Percy interfere in the ongoing wars with England and Spain. The Spanish's boasts of their invisible armada anger the gods. Deciding that interfering is for the best, Percy manipulates the tides and water to destroy the armada.

"I don't do this for you. I do this to save all the innocent lives that will die in this conflict."

-Percy takes notice as the European countries begin to colonize/search for gold in the "New World." Deciding he wants to return to the colonies, Percy arrives at Jamestown and helps set up the town. He doesn't stay for long, though. He travels through the continent for years. He meets tribes, explorers, and various monsters.

-Percy returns to Eruope during the Seven Years War/ French and Indian War because he is tired of pointless war. He once again takes up piracy.

-A fellow son of Poseidon fights Percy. He believes that he will gain eternal glory by defeating the mortal that has bested death. After he is defeated, he begs Percy for mercy. Percy agrees only to be stabbed in the back. Percy then violently kills his brother and vows never to let his family ties make him hesitate ever again.

-Percy is curious about the so called rebels in the English Colonies. The half-blood finds that he agrees with the colonists and decides to help as an advisor of war.

-After the Revolutionary War had ended and the Constitution was created, Percy is offered a position in the government by his friend George Washington. Percy refuses because he doesn't like politics but offers some advice to Washington about abusing power and remembering what he fought for.

"You honor me, George, but I am no politician. All I know is battle."

-Later, Percy secretly joins Louis and Clark on their trip into the Louisiana Purchase. All of his involvment was hidden because of Percy's continued mastery of the Mist.

-Percy decides to travel back east. He settles in Japan. For years, he practices with the samurai on becoming the perfect swordsman and with the ninja on perfecting his free running.

-Percy travels the world on a merchant vessel again. He is disgusted by the slave trade, and attacks several attacks on slave trade ships. Unfortunatley, he was not very successful, and in an accident, Percy loses his left arm.

-For decades, Percy retires to the hills in the mountains. He watches and listens at all the various wars and conflicts in the world. After decades of solitude, Percy takes quests from Hepheastus and Dionysus. After this, he makes ammends with the god of fire and becomes neutral with the god of wine. Through this entire time, Blood Seeker becomes more and more inpatient from the lack of battle.

"Thanks Poco. You were a big help."

-Percy discovers that he can control snow and spends years perfecting his control. During this training period, Percy has to mentally fight off Blood Seeker so that his other arm won't be destroyed.

-Years later, Hades offers to replace Percy's arm if he does a series of tasks for him. The tasks take Percy to the deepest part of the oceans. He fights a giant Kraken in an attempt to obtain a magic mirror as a gift for Persephone. Percy manages to tame the Kraken. Hades restores Percy's arm and they begin to respect eachother. It is now that Percy gains in interest in fire arms.

-After the quest, Percy travels America, the new world power. He is amazed by innovation and way of life in the American people. He travels for a few years, until he hears about a special trumpet that allows a person to control monsters. He goes to the Midwest to where he learns where the general area where the trumpet and its user are located.

-The powerful demigod makes base in a small country town. Percy rents a room in a hotel called "Jackson's Inn." It is there that he meets the innkeeper's daughter. A woman named Rebecca.

-Throughout his search for the trumpet, Percy begins to get to know Rebecca. They have various conversations and she shows her disgust of smoking, alcohol, and casual sex. Percy immediately gives all of those up.

"Ug! Do you smell that? Those idiots in the bar smoke and drink all day. Then they sleep with prostitutes at night! How disgusting!"

-Percy becomes efficient in using fire arms.

-Months pass, and Percy has fallen in love with Rebecca. He knows that he can never be with her though. She is a saint who helps everyone in her life and he's a killer. Percy tries to ignore her, but she keeps approaching him.

"You can't ignore me."

-Percy finds the demigod using the trumpet, but the trumpet user has taken Rebecca hostage. Using all his skills, Percy manages to make his way to save Rebecca. He manages to save her, but is defeated by the trumpet user who attacked with a small army of monsters. Rebecca manages to steal the trumpet and use it to control the monsters to kill the demigod.

-Rebecca nurses Percy back to health. He explains the gods and his curse life. They destroy the tumpet, and Percy makes plans to leave. The night before he leaves, Rebecca confesses her love and asks him to marry her. Worried that her involvment with him will put her in danger, Percy argues that his curse (which makes him eternally young and impotent) but Rebecca stands firm. Unable to resist, Percy agrees.

"I love you, Percy. I don't care about a so called curse. All I care about is living the rest of my life with you."

-Percy asks Hera to bless his marriage. She agrees and the demigod marry's Rebecca Jackson. Because Percy has no last name, he takes her maiden name. That was when he was first called Percy Jackson.

"I'll just have to take your last name I suppose. Considering that I don't have one. Besides, Percy Jackson has a nice ring to it."

-The folowing fifty-three years are the happiest years of Percy's life. He and Rebecca bought a ranch. They live off the land and are content. Percy uses the Mist to appear to age the same rate as Rebecca. During this time, Percy ignores the gods pleas to help in World War 1.

-The gods send trials to break Percy's marriage. Percy remains faithful, true, and hard working to his wife through all of the trials. This gains the respect of many of the gods.

-Rebecca Jackson dies of old age and is buried on the ranch. Percy pretends to be a descendant of himself and Rebecca and inherits the ranch. For months, Percy mourns his beloved wife. Hermes approached Percy and asks him to help with the second War World after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Realizing that he has nothing holding him back, Percy agrees.

-Percy heads to the front lines. After months of battles, Percy is captured. Percy is taken to a concentration camp and is personally interrogated by Hitler. The dictator demands to know where the Fountain of Youth is. Percy is tortured, but he refuses to speak. Knowing that it would take months for Percy to break, Hitler painfully pulls Blood Seeker off of Percy's arm, thus pealing the skin off of Percy's arm.

-Percy is put through unspeakable torture in the concentration camp. During his time there, Percy comes to an understanding of the amount of water in the human body. He learns that he has the ability to control the water/blood in the human body. He begins to secretly train this ability.

-After one terrible torture session, Percy accidently reveals the fountain's location. Hitler uses the Mist to make people believe that he is still in Europe, but secretly travels to where the fountain is.

-Percy uses his newly found ability to break out of the concentration camp. He kills all the soldiers and frees all the captives. Then, Percy sets out to stop Hitler from obtaining the curse of eternal youth.

"You better run you bastards! If not you are all going to die!"

-Arriving at the fountain, Percy finds that Hitler has sacrificed dozens of men to get to the fountain. Percy manages to stop Hitler from getting into the water and retrieve Blood Seeker. Using all of his skills, Percy kills the soldiers, makes his foe retreat, and destroys the temple so that it can never be used again. Hitler escapes and returns to the war.

"This temple has only brought misery to the world…"

-Percy returns to the front lines. He fights until V-E Day. It is then that he secretly confronts Hitler. Percy converses with Hitler over the disgusting things the tyrant has done. The son of Poseidon pulls out a pistol. Instead of using it himself to kill Hitler, he merely places the pistol in front of Hitler and has him commit suicide because Percy does not believe that Hitler deserves a warriors death.

"I won't kill you, you piece of trash. I'm just going to watch as you squirm and die by your own actions."

-Percy is no longer interested in personally fighting anymore. He does realize that the Japan won't quit and advises President Truman to think about using the atomic bomb to stop the war.

-Traumatized by the war and his life in general, Percy tries to live in solitude. He uses this time to collect weapons (such as guns, swords, and other things that can kill ) and trophies from monsters (the Nemean Lion fur, greaves made from griffin hide, and similar things).

-Hearing that the Hunters have run into trouble, Percy feels a small pull to go and check on his first love. He finds that the Hunters had found a horde of monsters and were being pushed into a corner. Percy reluctantly helps and finds that Sophia has been fatally wounded.

-As she dies, Sofia begs for forgiveness for her actions. She confeses that she still loved Percy and wished that they obtained the curse together in order to live together forever. Sofia then dies in his arms.

"I…was a fool. You only wanted to protect me. Forgive me, Percy. Forgive this foolish little girl that never stopped loving you."

-Percy buries Sofia's body. Artemis apologizes for Sofia's death, but Percy finds that this means nothing to him. Leaving the goddess, Zoë Nightshade (who won't stop insulting Percy), and the Hunters behind, Percy aimlessly travels the country. Despite helping people, Percy finally has come to the point where he no longer feels anything for the state of the world.

-Percy simply watches the world as it continues to march on. To quell his boredom and Blood Seeker's need for battle, Percy searches for powerful monsters to fight. Throughout the years, Percy turns his old wedding ring into a necklace, gets a tattoo of his last name on his forearm, and aquires a motor cycle from Hephaestus (who has grown to respect and feel kinsman ship with Percy. Thus they call each other "Cousin.").

-After feeling a disturbance in the Mist, Percy learns that Zeus' lighting bolt is missing. Later, he learns that Camp Half-blood has been sabotaged. Percy does nothing to help in both cases. He feels that his time is over and no longer cares about the affairs of the world.

-One night, Percy notes a strange pull in the Mist. As he sets up his camp and catches him meal, Percy notes that he feels trouble in the distance. It is then that he is greeted by Athena.

* * *

><p>Regular chapters:<p>

-Percy notes that the Oracle spoke of him in her prophecy. Deciding that this can't be ignored and feeling a pull from Blood Seeker, Percy interups the Cabin Council meeting and tells Zoe that he will be joining this quest. Zoe protests. Zoe tries to point out how many allies of Percy have died, but she is intimidated by Percy.

-Percy tells Clark that he can't be allowed to come. He explains that the desert will most likely be the death of Clark, but Clark intends to follow nevertheless because Annabeth and Grover are going. Nico meets with Percy and begs him to protect Bianca. Percy states that he would not be able to promise that, but will try nevertheless.

"That…I cannot promise…but I will do my best to keep her safe. You have my word on that."

-During their first stop, Percy notes an odd use of the Mist. He searches it out. Percy finds Atlas making skeleton soldiers. He manages to temporary stop the creation of most of the soldiers, but interference from Clark causes Percy to flee. Because his motorcycle was destroyed, Percy uses his free running skills to quickly get him and Clark back to the group.

-Percy manages to easily defeat the Nemean Lion by using water to improve his physical abilities and by using his water manipulation. Already having one, Percy allows Annabeth to have the coat.

"This will protect you."

-Percy meets Apollo on the train. Apollo questions Percy's motives. All Percy says is that he is tired of war and wished to prevent it. Later, he speaks with Grover and notes that his search for Pan may prove fruitless. Grover's conviction mangages to impress Percy.

-Unable to sleep, Percy speaks with Bianca. She tries to make excuses for herself about her decision to join the Hunters. Percy explains his neutrality in the matter. He does however explain that he understands Nico's pain because it is similar to his story with Sofia. Then, Percy notes that he hopes that it does not end in the same way.

"It's too late to regret your choice, but let's hope that your choice does not repeat history."

-Zoë demands that Percy leave Bianca alone. Percy states that she approached him. They get into a heated (on Zoe's side) argument about Sofia. Percy notes that Sofia's choice was her own, the same as Bianca and Zoë herself. Zoë becomes flustered by Percy's inability to become angered or flustered. Strangly, at the same time, she finds it alluring.

"You are a strange man, Jackson."

-After arriving in the mountains, Percy offers to give his coat to one of the girls. Zoe immediately answers no for her and Bianca. Blushing, Thalia explains that she is fine. Annabeth questions Percy on why he gave her his extra coat. Percy merely states that he had already promised Athena that he would protect her, and the coat would make it easier.

-Percy is astonished by the magic used to make inanimate objects come to life. He immediately realizes that it was Pan.

-When skeletons attack, Percy immediately uses the snow to disarm them. During the fight, the Erymanthian Boar attacks. Percy immediately goes to kill the boar, but is stopped by Grover who says it a gift of the wild. Deciding to use the gift, Percy slows the boar down enough for everyone to ride it.

-When the boar stops, Percy immediately stabs it in the head multiple times. The others are shocked by this. Grover angry shouts that he killed a gift from Pan. Percy explains that it is better to be safe than sorry.

-They rest for the night. He notes that traveling was a lot more enjoyable when they used horse. Percy finds himself amused at the banter of Thalia and Zoe. He remains silent as to why Pan helped and about the questions to Bianca about her powers and past.

-When Clark talks to Aphrodite about his love life and the others went to get tacos, Percy talks with Ares. Ares notes that he misses the days where Percy fought in wars because he always found it entertaining. Percy explains that he lost his taste for war long before WW2

"Of course, war was stupid before even I was born."

-Before the group could leave, Aphrodite talks with Percy. She tells him that she knows that he hasn't even looked at another woman since Rebecca. She encourages to move on and find new love, but Percy says that his ability to love is dead and gone.

"Even now, when I look at you all I see is her face."

-The fight with the giant of the junk yard causes Grover and Bianca to be injured. Calling in an IOU from Hermes, Percy convinces the messenger god to take them back to camp.

"Luckily lost is a lot different than dead."

-When the group arrives at the canyon river, they take the canoes, but Percy leaves money for the owners. Thalia, Annabeth, and Clark are in one boat. Zoë and Percy are in the other. The two semi-immortals talk about Artemis. Percy convinces her that the goddess' kidnapping wasn't her fault. Zoë actually apologizes for what happened to Sofia, but Percy is not angry with her. He notes that Sofia made her choice long ago, but nevertheless forgives Zoë. Zoë has to hide her blush.

-Annabeth spouts out facts about the Hoover Dam. She demands to go sightseeing. Percy is quick to agree.

"I have not been here since it was built…"

-After a few dam jokes, Percy finds the Ophiotaurus. He orders the nyads to take her to Camp Half-blood. It is then that the skeletons attack. Percy tries to get to his group, but is flanked by the skeletons. The skeletons release a gold mist which Percy inhales. Percy then cuts the skeletons down.

-He finds the others. Realizing that he can't save all of them, Percy urges Thalia to get over her fear of trusting her father in order to save them. Thalia succeeds and they escape.

-When they land, Percy explains that the Ophiotaurus was at the dam and that he made sure it was safe. With this done, the group mush figure out how to find Artemis. They are attacked by mercenaries and a familiar lizard man. At first, Clark is reluctant to harm mortals, but Percy convinces him to overcome this fear and the two brothers stop the men.

-Percy interrogates the lizard man and finds out where Artemis is. Annabeth suggests that her father can help get them there on time. She manages to convince her father to help, and they set on their way.

-After the car crash, the group travels on foot. Zoe goes to distract the Ladon. Percy makes her take his Nemean coat for protection. This saves Zoe from taking a terrible wound to the side.

-The group is trapped by Atlas, Luke, and their men. It is then that the fight ensues. Annabeth, Clark, and Thalia fight Luke and his men.

-Without hesitation, Percy draws Blood Seeker and attacks Atlas. Percy drenches himself in water to allow himself to move faster and become stronger. Percy sends a single slash of water at Atlas, but misses badly. Using this opening, Atlas begins to push Percy back. Just as Atlas is about to beat Percy, Zoe interferes.

-Atlas turns his attention to his daughter. He tries to attack her, but is surprised when Percy jumps in the way. Without the Nemean coat, Percy's chest and ribs are smashed. It is then that this happens:

"You take such a blow for her?" Atlas mocked. "She would never do the same for you."

"You obviously don't know your daughter…" Percy commented as blood flowed down his mouth. "She is a great warrior…and she has helped insure my victory."

"Your victory?" Atlas laughed. "You've lost, boy. You can't barely move."

"My plan doesn't involve me moving. It involves you being moved." Percy explained.

"What are you babbling on about?" Suddenly the ground crumbled under Atlas. Water spouted from the ground and sent the titan sprawling.

Percy then used the water to form a single straight blast of water. The blast caused the off balanced titan to be sent flying back. The next thing Atlas knows, he is once again under the mighty weight of the sky.

-Percy then explains his plan from the start. He moved around the field to spread the water and sent the slash of water to cut Artemis' chains. All that was left was moving Atlas into the proper position. Content with hearing Atlas' cries of outrage, Percy happily passes out.

-Percy wakes to find that everyone is safe. Annabeth's father had saved them, and Artemis had mostly healed him. Zoe tries to thank Percy for saving her. Percy recognizes her tone (The one of infatuation) and then dismisses the girl. Saying that he doesn't need the thanks of a stupid woman.

-Everyone realizes what Percy did, and Artemis thanks him for everything. The goddess sets out for Mt. Olympus.

-During the travel back across the states, Percy explains his actions to the other campers.

"She is a Hunter and I am merely a ghost. I couldn't let her ruin her life because she fell in love with me."

-At the trial on Olympus, Thalia becomes a Hunter in order to avoid the Prophecy. To stop all the debating, Percy steps forward and claims Clark as his apprentice. He then says that Clark is his responsibility and if Clark turns evil, Percy will be the one to cut him down.

"He is?"

"I am?"

"Yes, you are…now you are at least."

-During the party, Percy disappears to the temple that once held Blood Seeker. Hera appears and they talk about Percy's decisions. Hera apologizes for her past actions against Percy and says that she respects that he honors his wedding vows, but comments that they end at death.

-Artemis comes up to thank Percy for all he did. He responds that he needs none.

"Don't think that I did any of this for you. I did this because it was the right thing to do. I feel nothing for any of the gods."

-Back at Camp, Chiron asks why Percy would take on two aprentences. Percy responds by saying that it was necessary for the future.

-Percy begins to train Clark and Nico.

* * *

><p>And that is the basic idea of what the Legend's Curse was going to be. The two sequels would follow the final two books. The gold mist was what poisoned Percy. It was going to be a special poison made by Kronos to specifically stop Percy. It causes anyone who used the fountain to slowly lose control of his body.<p>

The second book would have revolved around Percy trying to deal with his failing body. After training Nico and Percy for a few months, Percy lets them move on and grow on their own. Through this story, Percy tries sabotage as much of Kronos' plans as possible before he basically becomes a vegetable. During a confrontation with Kronos, Percy is cured of his disease by the only way possible. His curse of eternal youth is dropped.

The final book revolves around Percy trying to keep his own moral up during the war. Now able to die, Percy only desires the peace of death. Unfortunately for the enemies, he won't go down without a fight. My plan for the ending was for Percy to use the power of hope to take control of Kronos' powers and become the god of time and hope.

I'm sorry that this isn't all that I originally planned for it to be. I even planned out a romance with Calypso. So that marks the end of the Legend's curse.

If anyone want to take a stab at this concept, you're more than welcome. Consider this a challenge. Do what I couldn't. You can change what you want, I'd just want to know so I can keep an eye out.

Thank you all for reading. Stay safe my friends.


End file.
